


The Way We Will Be

by TheCartoonFanatic01



Series: AmourShipping Generations [1]
Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Anime)
Genre: AmourShipping Family, AmourShipping Future, Cross-Posted on FanFiction.Net, F/M, Pokemon Showcases, Time Travel, lots and lots of characters
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-10
Updated: 2020-04-15
Packaged: 2020-06-25 19:02:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 23
Words: 178,038
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19751881
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheCartoonFanatic01/pseuds/TheCartoonFanatic01
Summary: While in Kiloude City for a Pokémon Showcase, Ash and Serena meet a girl who claims to be their daughter from their future. This startling turn of events results in an adventure like no other, and quite perhaps...something a little bit more? AmourShipping, Ash/Serena, SatoSere! R&R!





	1. Vaniville Town Start

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, everyone! Welcome to my second "Pokémon" fic on AO3, as well as my first multi-chapter fic here. Much like "Life Is Wonderful", this is already on FanFiction.Net, my primary playground. If you wish to read more of this, you can find the fuller version over there, under the same title. But for now, I will be posting this, chapter by chapter, so I can expand the audience for this fic.
> 
> And now, a little background behind this. Before I came up with this at FanFiction.Net, I was struggling to write a brand-new AmourShipping fic, or a "Pokémon" fic in general, for that matter. The XY saga had ended, which put me into a mini-depression. After all, I enjoyed that saga so much and I was really going to miss Ash and Pikachu's adventures with Serena, Clemont, and Bonnie.
> 
> Writing for "Pokémon" became more difficult for me. It was hard coming up with a new idea for a fanfiction that I wanted to tell and actually finish. Every time I had an idea that really tickled my fancy, I would drop it as soon as I attempted drafting the first chapter. The fact that I hate the SM saga with a passion (sorry, SM fans) didn't make things any better for me. There were times where I just wanted to retire from writing "Pokémon" fics, at least until Generation VIII came rolling around.
> 
> Isn't writer's block fun? XP
> 
> Then, I remembered a time travel-themed AmourShipping fic I posted on FanFiction.Net a few years back, also called "The Way We Will Be". It was surprisingly but pleasingly popular back in its day. However, in an act of pure genius, I deleted it because I suddenly hit a creative dead-end with it and I didn't know how to maneuver my way around it. Naturally, that didn't go over well with some people. But now, after doing some soul-searching, I felt motivated to bring this back and finish it once and for all. And thus, this rewrite was born!
> 
> Alright, I'm rambling. Time to get on with the story! ENJOY!
> 
> P.S.: Just to clarify, the fic is set between the XYZ episodes "A Diamond in the Rough!" and "A Gaggle of Gadget Greatness!".
> 
> Disclaimer: All forms of "Pokémon" DO NOT belong to me in any way! All rights of ownership automatically go to Satoshi Tajiri, Nintendo, Game Freak, and Pokémon Company International!

**Kiloude City  
Southern Kalos**

_**"Little girl... In forest... Asking for...mother... Serena Ketchum..."** _

Holding on tightly to the handrails, a confused and slightly intrigued Serena Gabena recalled the garbled words that she overheard from the walkie-talkie. Though she could attribute it to static and a bad signal, the honey-blonde Performer could've sworn the person on the other end used her first name and the surname of her good friend (and secret crush), Ash Ketchum, as a single name. It was almost as if she was supposed to be _married_ to Ash...

Her thoughts were interrupted by another violent jolt that nearly knocked her out of her seat. Right now, she was sitting in an army-green jeep racing down the rough trail, across countless rows of forest trees. Looking across her shoulder, the Performer could see the blurs of a few forest Pokémon watching the vehicle in curiosity as it passed them. Then, the honey-blonde girl looked over the treetops and spotted the distant Flamethrower that was shooting high into the cloudless sky, scaring off a nearby flock of Flying-type Pokémon in the process.

"There it is!" exclaimed Ash, who was conveniently sitting beside her. "The Flamethrower Yuu mentioned!"

"Pika!" squeaked the trusty Pikachu sitting on Ash's shoulder.

"Yeah, I see it too!" replied the jeep's driver, a Pokémon Ranger by the name of Summer. "Alright, hold on, everyone! I'm gonna step on it!"

The passengers all tightened their grips on the handrails or any other stationary objects that were within reach. Moments later, Summer made good on her declaration: she pressed her foot harder on the gas pedal, speeding the jeep up and making the ride down the beaten path even more bumpy and uncomfortable, unfortunately. Indeed, her other friends and traveling companions Clemont and Bonnie were holding on to each other for support. But for some reason, even though she too would be concerned about her well-being, she wasn't worried at all in this occasion...which was odd...

Well, so were Ash and Pikachu, but that was just them being their usual courageous, daring selves. No, she was sensing something ahead, something that was keeping her confident all the way, and it was so unusual and foreign to her... Yet, it wasn't something unsafe or dangerous. Actually...it felt _welcoming_...

What was this instinct...?

It didn't take long until the jeep neared the point of the Flamethrower's origin.

"Here we are!" Summer hollered, just seconds before she slammed her foot down on the brake.

It only took a miracle to keep the four passengers, plus the Pikachu, rooted to their seats when the jeep jerked to an abrupt, violent stop. Immediately, all five of them got out of the jeep. Once Bonnie got out, the pouch of her satchel opened up, revealing a slumbering, content Dedenne and a strange green Pokémon inside.

"Oh, Squishy..." Bonnie moaned, looking down solemnly at the green Pokémon. "Are you dizzy from that ride? Me too..."

Squishy chirped weakly in response.

Meanwhile, Ash, Serena, and Summer took the first steps into the grassy clearing, where they found what seemed to be a family of tourists and their Pokémon: a Combee, a Vespiquen, and a tired-looking Cyndaquil. Serena was the first to notice the daughter, who had her back on them and was apparently around Bonnie's age. This girl wore light summer clothing, including a large straw hat with a blue ribbon that gave Serena a strange feeling of nostalgia. She also appeared to have something tucked in her arms...

"Oh, there you are!" the wife exclaimed, shooting up on her feet in relief and concern. "Thank goodness you came! Her Pokémon needs medical attention, quickly!"

"Alright, let me see the Pokémon, ma'am," Summer replied.

At that moment, the girl looked over her shoulder, and Serena saw her face for the first time. She had chin-length hair, colored in the exact same shade of black as Ash's, but her fair skin and sapphire-blue eyes were nearly flawless replicas of the Performer's own. The girl looked nothing like the couple that was with her.

In fact, she looked a lot more like Serena herself, with a dash of Ash!

The girl smiled in relief, shot up on her feet, and ran toward Serena, yelling out of apparent instinct, "MOMMY!"

The atmosphere was suddenly struck with a painfully awkward silence. Everyone was rendered immobile.

As the silence continued to reign supreme over the clearing, Serena's mind raced with all of her many attempts to rationalize what had just happened, plus her lingering thoughts on the 'Serena Ketchum' flub over the radio...which started to sound less and less like a flub with every passing second. But all of the thoughts were too much for her mind, and it was progressively sliding into a blank slate.

Reality seemed to catch up quickly with the girl as well, for she was also rooted to the spot, her expression frozen with awkward silence.

 _"Uhhhhh..."_ Serena managed out in her mind. _"What's going on here...?"_

No one noticed the usually-dormant flowers suddenly blossoming to life all around them.

 _"How in the world did things come to_ this _...?"_

* * *

**Vaniville Town  
Twenty-four hours earlier**

_On their way to Lumiose City for Ash's Kalos League challenge, our heroes have received an invitation from Monsieur Pierre, the host of the Pokémon Showcases! Now, they've decided to take a little detour to Kiloude City_ _for the end-of-the-year exhibition Pokémon Showcase that is to take place there. Little do any of them know, their future awaits there..._

_**"Bonjour, my dear Pokémon Performers! I am Monsieur Pierre, your host, and first, I want to thank each and every one of you for giving your all throughout another wonderful year of Pokémon Showcases! But it is such a shame that we must now bid that year au revoir. And this is why Kalos Queen Aria and I have decided to close off that year in the only way we know how: by holding a Showcase!** _

_**"Thus, I humbly invite you all to Kiloude City for a special end-of-the-year celebration, which will be next week! Invite your friends and family! Dazzle them all with the talents that you have learned and perfected over the past season! And most of all, have fun showcasing the beauty of the partnerships you've forged between yourself and your Pokémon!** _

_**"Aria and I hope to see you at Kiloude City, and remember, keep on performing!"** _

Serena recalled Monsieur Pierre's video broadcast as she walked beside Ash and Bonnie. Right now, they, along with a lagging Clemont, were walking down an informal walkway, which cut through a vast field of flowers. It was a beautiful sight, for it was a sea of various colors all around them. Some wild Pokémon could be seen mingling around the flowers, and flocks of Fletchling, Flabébé, and Vivillon flew across the sky. Serena vaguely remembered seeing this kind of scenery while she was leaving Vaniville Town, during her first day as a Pokémon Trainer...

Not that she was particularly focused on the scenery back then. At the time, the only person on her mind was...

"So how longer till we gonna get to Vaniville Town, Serena?" Ash suddenly asked, looking at her over his shoulder.

"Oh, we should be arriving there in a few more minutes," Serena replied in a near-stutter, having been momentarily startled by her crush addressing her. "I-I remember this field well."

"Wooooow, it's _so beautiful_!" Bonnie cried as she gushed over the flowers surrounding her. "Look, Squishy, Dedenne, do you see all the flowers?!"

"Nenene!" the little girl's Antenna Pokémon squeaked, its beady eyes sparkling brightly at the sight of some orange flowers, which a Furret was standing beside.

Squishy made an unintelligible, high-pitched garble that sounded like a mutual agreement.

Meanwhile, Ash stretched out his arms. "Man, I can't wait till I get to Vaniville Town!" he said. "I've never been there, after all. I'd really like to see what your home is like, Serena!"

"Pika, pikachu!" squeaked Pikachu, the Mouse Pokémon nodding his head in agreement.

Serena blushed faintly, feeling a little humbled that Ash wanted to see her hometown and all of its sights and sounds...or lack thereof...

"I'm glad you want to see Vaniville Town, Ash," she replied, "but I don't see what there is to look forward to. I've gotta say, it's a little dull over there..."

"I just wanted to see where you grew up, that's all."

"O-Oh!" Serena couldn't help but blush more at that comment. Ash wanted to have an idea about her childhood? "I-I'm glad you really want to know that much about me..."

"Well, of course!" Ash flashed her that big, wide, toothy, confident smile of his. "You're my friend, after all! I love to learn as much about my friends as possible!"

"Pikachu!" Pikachu added.

Serena chuckled heartily, though she was mentally grimacing at the thought of Ash referring to her as a friend. Once again, just when she thought he wanted to be closer to her, she finally realized it was just Ash being his usual oblivious self. Typical.

Meanwhile, Bonnie looked behind her and puffed her cheeks in disappointment.

"Clemont, hurry up!" she called. "You're always far behind!"

"Oh, give me a _break_ , Bonnie!" the Lumiose Gym Leader cried in exhaustion and some exasperation. "I'm an inventor, not an athlete!"

His response caused Bonnie to puff her cheeks out even more. "How are you gonna get a wife if you're gonna be that way, Clemont?! You know, girls don't like guys who can't walk a couple of feet before getting as tired as a barafoner!"

"Don't you mean _marathoner_ , Bonnie...?"

The young girl ignored her older brother and continued, "If you're gonna impress a girl, Clemont, then you gotta show them how strong you are! Girls like strong guys!"

Clemont heaved out a sigh. "No, thank you. I think I'll just stick to inventing. I think I can impress girls with my innovative and revolutionary devices."

"I don't think you're gonna impress _anyone_ if your inventions keep blowing up in their faces," deadpanned Serena.

" _Exactly_!" Bonnie squeaked in agreement. "No one likes getting weird hairdos from your inventions, Clemont!"

"Lilia liked my inventions..." the inventor grumbled in annoyance. Bonnie was still within earshot; her skin paled at the sound of the name, but she continued walking at the same pace as if nothing had happened. However, Clemont pressed on. "Where are you getting this sort of information, anyway? About girls liking strong guys?"

"Serena," Bonnie replied innocently.

Both Clemont and Ash glared at Serena, the former with surprise and the latter with confusion. As for Serena, her face turned as red as a Tamato Berry. She knew what exactly Bonnie was talking about. But how did she catch on to her crush? Was she _that_ obvious to her...?

To her relief, Ash pointed further down the trail and shouted, "That must be it! Vaniville Town!"

Indeed, the quartet had arrived at their destination: Vaniville Town, small and quaint with townhouse-like dwellings and surrounded by grassy, flowery plains. If one didn't know any better, they'd say it was truly in the middle of nowhere, given its lack of proximity to other Kalosian cities and towns. But upon first sight, Serena's mind quickly got off the topic of her crush on Ash and rejoiced in the town's nostalgic atmosphere.

Despite all of her memories of an unpleasantly dull lifestyle and disastrous Rhyhorn-riding practices, Serena realized how much she missed that place.

"Come on!" Ash cried, the raven-haired Trainer immediately bursting into a sprint. "Let's go check it out!"

"Wait for us, Ash!" Bonnie called, laughing with excitement as she followed her friend.

Serena smiled and started running after her friend as well, prompting Clemont to moan, "Ohhh, come on, guys! Can't we walk the rest of the way?! My legs can't afford to be tortured like this!"

Naturally, no one listened to him, so he started running to the best of his ability...which wasn't much.

* * *

Up in the skies, a certain trio watched the quartet of friends, using binoculars, from the safety of their hot-air Meowth balloon.

"Dere go da twoips," Meowth said.

"Yes, oh yes," James replied, a sinister sneer appearing on his face. "They may be all happy-go-lucky right now, but little do they know..."

"Dat taday is da day we capture Pikachu! Heh heh heh..."

However, Jessie lowered her binoculars; the Team Rocket member was wearing an expression of disappointment.

"Are you two being absolutely serious right now?!" she exclaimed, startling her comrades-in-arms. "You're thinking of _capturing Pikachu_ , today of all days?!"

"W-We-Well... _yeah_..." James said hesitantly.

"I-I mean," added Meowth, "d-dat's da plot fer every episode, isn't dat right...?"

"We cannot concern ourselves with that stuff right now! Do you have any idea what tomorrow is supposed to be?!"

"Ummmmm...is it...your birthday...?" replied James, his voice shaky.

"NO!"

Jessie whipped out a brochure and pointed at it. James and Meowth leaned forward to examine the picture and quickly recognized the photo of Aria and her Delphox in the midst of one of their performances.

"Isn't dat da so-called Kalos Queen?" Meowth asked. "Elsa or someting like dat?"

"No, her name's Anna! But that's beside the point. You see, tomorrow's gonna be when the end-of-the-year Exhibition Showcase starts!"

" _Another_ Pokémon Showcase?" groaned James. "I thought we were done with all of that girly stuff- ACK!"

Jessie had rolled up the brochure and used it to slap the top of James's head. "Pokémon Showcases are NOT girly stuff, James! They're a means to express my artistic beauty to the rest of the dull, gloomy world! And while I was unable to succeed in that regards in the Master Class Showcase, I still have every intent of going out with a bang, or should I say...blastoff!"

"I'm sorry, Jess, but that pun is _so_ last year... Maybe last decade..."

"I don't think it even _belonged_ in any sort of time period," Meowth added in a deadpan tone.

"Whatever!" shouted Jessie, once again startling her teammates. "I am going to participate in that new Showcase, and I will give the world one last taste of Jessilee before she bids it au Gardevoir!" She then malevolently looked out of the balloon and used her binoculars to focus on Serena. "And no pathetic little twerpette and her Pokémon are gonna stand in my way _this time_!"

...

"I think the phrase is 'au revoir'..." James and Meowth both deadpanned.

_POP!_

"Wooooobbuffet!"

* * *

It didn't take long until Serena, Ash, Clemont, and Bonnie arrived at Vaniville Town. Once they did, the first thing they saw was the town square. It was just as small and quaint as the town itself, with a few residents (usually older ones) walking around with their pet Pokémon, and a salesperson operating a food stand at the corner. At the center was a small fountain that quietly spouted out water. There, Serena saw someone familiar standing beside it.

"MOM!" she called excitedly.

The retired Rhyhorn Racer looked up from her book (a how-to manual on Rhyhorn riding, _of course_ ) and smiled warmly.

"Serena, honey," she greeted in response. Once Serena approached her, the woman hugged her daughter. "How are you, my dear?"

"I'm doing great, Mom." Serena broke the hug and fondly looked up at her mother. She still couldn't believe their previous love-hate relationship turned around for the better. "How are you?"

"I'm doing good as well." Grace then heaved out a heavy sigh. "It's...It's been a little dull without you in the house, though." She chuckled. "I'd hate to admit this, but...I did miss that sass of yours."

Serena blinked in surprise. "You...You _did_?"

"Hi, you guys!" Grace suddenly exclaimed, immediately disregarding her daughter's question and diverting her attention to Ash, Clemont, and Bonnie. "How are you all?"

"We're doing good, Grace!" replied Ash. "I just got my final Gym Badge, and after Serena's done with her Showcase, I'm gonna go challenge the Kalos League!"

"Pika-pikachu!" Pikachu cried in agreement.

"The Kalos League, huh?" The woman raised her eyebrows, impressed by Ash's determination. "I heard it's gonna be a tough one this year. Especially with that Mega Evolution fad I've been hearing about. It's become quite the craze, Ash."

The raven-haired Trainer just continued to grin. "Ah, don't worry, I think I have something just as good."

Serena saw Ash's hand twitch to his belt, presumably towards a certain Poké Ball.

"Well, I wish you the best of luck, then," Grace said. "Now then, let's go home! I'm sure you guys are hungry after all that walking."

"I sure am!" moaned Clemont in immense relief.

"Come on, I'll fill you guys up before we hit the road to Kiloude City! Oh, speaking of which..." Grace turned around to look at Serena again. "Serena, honey, we already have guests."

The honey-blonde girl blinked. "We do?"

"Yeah." Her mother suddenly smiled cleverly. "I'm pretty sure you know them."

* * *

"Wooooow!" Bonnie exclaimed, her blue eyes widening. "So _this_ is your house, Serena?"

"Yep," Serena replied, smiling fondly as the familiar two-story, duplex-type house came into view. "Home sweet home."

A soft bellow suddenly emerged from the yard, and once the group approached the front gate, they saw the source: a Rhyhorn standing beside its kennel, having just stood up upon seeing the new arrivals. It bellowed again, a bit more loudly this time, upon recognizing Serena.

"Hi, Rhyhorn!" the Performer cried. As soon as Grace unlocked the gate, she rushed in and hugged the Spikes Pokémon's face. "It's been a while! I missed you very much, you know."

The Rhyhorn cooed happily as it started licking Serena, drawing out laughter from her.

"That's your Rhyhorn, Grace?" Ash asked.

"That's right," the former Rhyhorn Racer replied. "Good ole Spikes. He certainly seems to have missed Serena very much."

"Well, of course!" Bonnie said. "All Rhyhorn love Serena!" Then, the girl got an idea, and she started hopping up and down with excitement. "Ooh, ooh, can I pet Rhyhorn? Pretty please?!"

"Sure, be my guest, Bonnie!"

"YAY!"

"Nene!" Dedenne chirruped.

Squishy just made another garbled chirp as Bonnie ran up to the Spikes Pokémon and joined Serena in petting it.

A few moments later, the front door suddenly opened up and a Fletchling came flying out of the house. It chirped happily in greeting and settled on top of Serena's pink fedora, attracting the Performer's attention.

"Hey, Fletchling," she greeted as the Tiny Robin Pokémon chirped happily. "It's good to see you too."

"And it's good to see _you_ , Serena," a new but familiar voice said.

Serena, Ash, Clemont, and Bonnie all turned their heads towards the door, where they saw a girl stepping outside. Their eyes all widened as soon as they recognized her.

" _Shauna_?!" Serena exclaimed, surprised.

The tan-skinned Performer gestured to herself. "In the flesh." She then waved her palm at Ash and Clemont, who by then had already bypassed the front gate. "Hey, guys!"

Serena didn't waste any time in standing up and hugging her friend and rival.

"W-Wow!" the honey-blonde cried. "I...I didn't expect you to be _here_ , Shauna!"

Shauna chuckled and broke the hug. "Well, of course. There's no way I'm gonna miss out on a Showcase, especially a special exhibition that Aria herself is hosting!"

"No, I mean...I didn't think you'd be _here_ in Vaniville! I mean, I know you also live here, but-"

"Well, since I knew you live here as well, I asked around for where your place is. It didn't take long to find it, considering this is a small town, after all." Shauna turned around to examine the house. "All this time, we were living just several yards away from each other and we didn't know it before."

"Tell me about it..." Serena sighed heavily as memories of her not-so-memorable Rhyhorn riding training sessions flashed across her mind. "Had we met way earlier, I'm sure you would've brought a lot of joy and entertainment to my childhood..."

"I do hope you're not talking about our training sessions, dear..." Grace deadpanned.

At that moment, two teenage boys stepped out of the house. Ash and Clemont both smiled, recognizing them as...

"Tierno!" Ash exclaimed.

"Trevor!" cried Clemont.

"Hey, Ash!" Tierno replied. "It's mighty fine seeing you here! You're accompanying Serena to the end-of-the-year Pokémon Showcase, isn't that right?"

"That's right," said the raven-haired Trainer. "And you and Trevor are here accompanying Shauna, right?"

"That's about right," replied Trevor as he cast a glance at Shauna. "For our friend since childhood, we wouldn't miss anything for the world."

Grace laughed fondly at the sight of the reunion between friends. "Oh, I'm so glad my little Rhyhorn Racer's found so many new and wonderful friends this past year!"

" _Mom_!" Serena exclaimed, a dark blush appearing on her cheeks. "Please don't call me that in front of them!"

"Oh, where are my manners!" However, Grace seemed to ignore her daughter's plea as she walked by the seven Trainers, plus Bonnie, stepped up to the front door, and gestured into the Gabena house. "Come on in, everyone, I already have lunch set up in the kitchen for all of you!"

Everyone accepted the former Rhyhorn Racer's offer and went inside the house. All the while, Serena, Ash, Clemont, and Bonnie never noticed Grace's sly grin, nor the glances Shauna, Tierno, and Trevor shared amongst each other.

A few seconds later, Serena was the first to reach the kitchen. She had been expecting to see her mother's finest cooking on the table. Instead, she was surprised by a trio of voices shouting at the top of their lungs, "SURPRISE!"

"AGH!" Serena tried to run the opposite direction out of instinct, but instead bumped headfirst into Ash, literally. "OW!"

"OW!" Ash yelped, his hands flying up to his forehead.

"Pikapi!" Pikachu squeaked in surprise.

"Ash, Serena!" Clemont exclaimed. "Are-Are you guys alright?!"

"No," Serena moaned, as she blushed in embarrassment at having this kind of close contact with her crush. Her blush only worsened when she heard someone in the kitchen struggling to contain their laughter, "not until I know who in their right mind would surprise me like that, the little-!"

"Whoa, cuz!" one of the new voices cried through his restrained chuckling. "Hold it with the potty mouth! There's a kid present!"

Serena's eyes widened, and she lowered one of her hands from her forehead. Could it really be him?

" _Calem_?" she asked incredulously.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: And here it is, ladies and gents, the beginning of "The Way We Will Be"! Hooray! Leave a review when you're willing and able, guys! The more feedback, the better. :D
> 
> Anyway, I'll wait a few days, then cross-post the second chapter for the original work here. It will depend on the reception for this fic.
> 
> Well, hope you enjoyed this chapter! TheCartoonFanatic01 is out. PEACE!


	2. Childhood Recollections

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, everyone! Welcome back to "The Way We Will Be"! Since I have some spare time, I've decided to spend it cross-posting this chapter from FanFiction.Net for the AO3-exclusive readers to enjoy. So...ENJOY!

**Vaniville Town**

Serena stood still, rooted to her spot, absolutely dumbfounded at the sight of her mother's other guests. She could feel all eyes on her, including those of Ash, Clemont, Bonnie, Shauna, Tierno, and Trevor, but she didn't care the slightest. It had been _years_ since she last saw any of them in person, and now they were standing in the middle of her kitchen?! This was just too good for her to believe!

" _Calem_?" she asked incredulously.

The teenage boy gave her a toothy grin. "Hey, cuz," he said as he stretched out his arms. "Long time, no see!"

"Oh, my _Arceus_!" The honey-blonde Performer was quick to envelop him in a tight hug. "I can't believe you're here!" She then broke the hug and looked at the other people in the kitchen, immediately recognizing them as well. "Auntie Layla?! Uncle Moose?! You guys are here too?!"

"Well, of course, Serena," the man replied. "Your mother called and told us about what you've been doing as a Pokémon Performer, and..."

"We thought it'd be appropriate to travel over to Kalos and celebrate this occasion!" completed the woman. With the last three words, she gestured to the kitchen table, which was holding an eloquent-looking chocolate cake with the words 'TO OUR BELOVED KALOS QUEEN' frosted on it with red icing.

" _Wow_!" Serena exclaimed, her eyes shimmering with emotion at the sight of the wonderful cake. "You guys... I can't believe you did this for me..."

"Anything for you, Serena!" Shauna exclaimed, smiling from cheek to cheek. "It was actually all your mother's idea."

"We're all so proud of you, honey," Grace said warmly. The teenage girl didn't waste any time in giving her mother a hug, which Grace reciprocated.

Once the hug was done, Clemont stepped beside Serena and asked, "These people are your _relatives_ , Serena?"

"Yeah," Serena replied, still in awe at the surprise reunion. "Yeah, they are..."

"Awesome!" Ash cried. He pointed to himself with his thumb. "My name is Ash Ketchum! And this is my partner Pikachu!"

"Pikachu!" greeted Pikachu.

"It's so great to meet you all. Anyone who's a friend or family member of my friend is a friend of mine!"

"I'm Clemont," said Clemont, bowing his head. "Pleased to meet you."

"I'm Bonnie," Bonnie greeted before gesturing to Dedenne and Squishy. "And these here are Dedenne and Squishy!"

"Dedenne!" Dedenne greeted, while Squishy just chirped strangely again.

"Nice to meet you all!" Layla said, smiling serenely. She stood up from her wooden chair, and at that moment, Serena, Ash, Pikachu, Clemont, and Bonnie noticed the bulge on her abdomen. "I'm Layla, Grace's sister, and that's my husband Moose." Moose waved at the group.

"And I'm Calem," added Calem, gesturing to himself. "Serena's cousin."

"Second cousin, actually," Grace clarified.

"Well, I'm the closest cousin Serena's got, so there's no need for that, Auntie Grace!"

"Wait a minute, you said your name was Ash Ketchum?" Moose asked suddenly, looking at the raven-haired Trainer. When Ash nodded in affirmative, Moose stood up from his own chair; at that moment, Ash felt like he recognized him from somewhere else. "Oh my goodness, who would've thunk it?! It _is_ you!"

"Wait a minute, we already _know_ that boy, honey?" asked Layla.

"Yeah, remember Nana's birthday party? That train ride?"

With those cues, Layla's eyes lit up with understanding. "Oh yeah, I remember now!"

Ash arched an eyebrow. The events Moose mentioned sounded familiar to him, but then again, he had been on many train rides and attended many birthday parties with lots of people throughout his journeys.

"Wh-What?" he replied, perplexed. "I don't understand..."

"Pika..." Pikachu added in agreement.

"We met on a train in Sinnoh!" Moose explained. "You and your friends were on your way to a Gracidea Flower garden with a Shaymin! Oh, what were those kids' names again...?"

"Dawn and Brock!" Ash blurted out, the memories of this Sinnoh adventure returning to him. "Yeah, I remember now! We went to your great-grandmother's one-hundredth birthday party afterwards!" His eyes bulged in surprise. "Wow! I never know you guys were Serena's aunt and uncle!"

"Pika-pikachu," Pikachu added, the Mouse Pokémon nodding his head in agreement.

"I guess it's a small world," Layla remarked, chuckling.

As Ash got reacquainted with her aunt and uncle, Serena observed her crush with surprise. No, she wasn't surprised by the fact that he met her beloved maternal aunt before, although that still would be something to get surprised over. But no, there was something else that weighed on her mind after that conversation, something that seemed more important than a previous chance encounter between Ash and her Auntie Layla.

 _"Dawn and Brock..."_ she repeated in her mind. _"Brock has to be a guy's name... But..._ Dawn _? Is that a girl's name? Did Ash travel with a girl before me? If he did...then...what are_ his _thoughts about_ her _...?"_

She clenched her fists, trying hard not to think about the plethora of possibilities this scenario laid out.

"Alright, enough chitchat, folks!" Grace announced suddenly, interrupting Serena's thoughts of concern. She had just pulled open a drawer and taken out a few plates. "Let's eat!"

"ALRIGHT!" the other Trainers, plus a drooling Bonnie, cried in anticipation.

* * *

**Several minutes later**

"How come you've never told us about your other relatives, Serena?!" Bonnie exclaimed.

"Yeah, I didn't know you had any family outside of your mom," Clemont added.

Right now, Serena, Ash, Clemont, Bonnie, Shauna, Tierno, Trevor, Calem, Grace, Layla, and Moose were outside in the yard, seated at an oblong table that Ash, Calem, and Moose set up (after Clemont failed to set it up by himself with another one of his new inventions). They were eating their own slices of the chocolate cake, as well as other food that Grace and Layla had set up. Pikachu, Dedenne, and Fletchling were nearby, eating Pokémon food with Rhyhorn at the foot of its kennel. As for Squishy, it was lying on the concrete wall bordering the Gabena house, sunbathing in contentment.

"Yeah, Serena," Calem said, standing beside the honey-blonde and slinging his arm over her shoulders, behind her neck. "Why didn't you tell your friends about your dear ole cousin? That's very hurtful to know, if you ask me."

"I-It just never came up," Serena replied, though she did look a little guilty about it. "There's was never a perfect opportunity to mention them. Th-That's all..."

The boy then chuckled and gently patted her on the back. "Ah, come on, don't tear up about it, Serena! I'm just teasing you!" When Serena continued to look embarrassed, he chuckled again. "I guess some things don't change."

The Performer suddenly shot him a look born from the depths of Hell. "And what's _that_ supposed to mean...?"

Calem's skin paled slightly. "Nothing, nothing..." He then proceeded to scan his cousin from head to toe, and once he was done, he said, "Speaking of changes, I gotta admit, I really like the style you set up for yourself. Especially the short hair. Since when did you start rocking that new hairdo?"

"Since eight months ago."

"Why the change, cuz?"

"It's..." Serena could see Shauna at the corner of her eye. "It's a long story, actually..."

Calem took the hint and steered away from that topic. "You know, Serena," he said earnestly, "I always thought you'd be stuck riding Rhyhorn under your mom's instructions. But look at you! You actually got away from her and became your own person!"

"Well, I don't know about that," Grace replied teasingly. "I still think she needs to hop back on the saddle. I've got a couple of remaining lessons to teach her."

"Oh, stop it, sis!" Layla cried, pretending to look affronted. Being seated right beside her sister, she playfully punched her in the shoulder, though Grace still rubbed it as if it actually did sting.

"So, Calem," Ash said, after he finished eating what seemed to be his fifth slice of cake, "are you traveling through Kalos too?"

"No, actually," Calem replied. "I was born here, but my folks and I moved to Sinnoh before I turned ten. Speaking of which..." He looked at Serena. "My folks send all their love and pride, Serena. They wish they could've been here, but you know how things are..."

"Yeah," said Serena. "Tell them I said thanks."

As soon as Calem nodded, Ash asked him, "So you live in Sinnoh now?"

"That's right. Snowpoint City, to be exact. And that's where I started my Pokémon journey."

"Awesome! You know, I challenged the Sinnoh League a couple of years back!"

Calem blinked, impressed. "Really?"

"Mm-hm. And I got pretty far."

"What placement did you land?"

"Top Four."

"HA!" The Kalos-born Trainer immediately dropped his fork on his plate, startling Tierno and Trevor, and gestured to himself proudly. "You're looking at a League champ here!"

"No way!" Ash's eyes lit up with awe and excitement, and Tierno and Trevor also looked astounded by Calem's revelation. "You actually won the Sinnoh League?!"

"Yep," Serena replied, suddenly looking particularly irritated. "He practically annoyed his way through the whole thing."

But both Ash and Calem ignored her. "What is it like, challenging the Elite Four?" Ash asked.

"Harder than a Shellder," Calem replied, his gaze suddenly hardening a little. "I lost all but my Empoleon to Leonardo, and then Bertha totally dominated the field with her Hippowdon."

"Leonardo?" Ash raised an eyebrow, having expected to hear the name of Bug-type specialist Aaron instead, only to be dealt with this surprise. "Who's that?"

"What, you've never-?" Then, Calem's eyes widened in understanding. "Oh, that's right. He must've retired before you started your Sinnoh journey. Well, he was the first Elite Four member you had to face, but that guy was older than Arceus. I'm surprised that I sorta expected him to still be there."

"Wow, so you actually managed to win a battle against an Elite Four member?" asked Trevor. He then started playing with his cake with his fork. "Those guys are supposed to be the most powerful Trainers out there, behind the Champion, of course. I think I'd be creamed facing any one of them, no matter what my team is..."

"Creamed? That's the understatement of the century, Trev..." Tierno replied.

"Oh, I think you can find your way around their power, man, but only if you study their strategies and train really hard," Calem said. The Trainer casually popped a grape into his mouth, coolly chewed on it a few times before swallowing it, turned his gaze back to Ash, and asked, "So, where are you from, Ash? You don't look like you're from around here."

"I'm from Kanto. Pallet Town, to be exact."

"Pallet Town?" Calem shot Serena a curious look. "Hey, isn't that where you went to that Pokémon Summer Camp ten years ago, cuz?"

"Yeah..." the honey-blonde replied, blushing at the treasured memory of that fateful week. "Turns out Ash was the boy I told you about, Calem."

Calem shot up from his seat, startling the other Trainers. "No way, really?!" He looked from Serena to Ash repeatedly. Then, he sat back down, set his sights on Ash, and said, "Hey, man, I'd give you a lot of flak if you weren't cool in my book. My cuz here just wouldn't shut up about you!"

"CALEM!" Serena shrieked, her voice cracking a little. "H-H-He doesn't need to know about that!"

"Well, he's right, Serena," Grace said, smirking. "Ever since we left that summer camp, you wouldn't stop talking about that boy. Ash this and Ash that." She then glanced at Ash. "But to be honest, I didn't expect you to be that same boy, Ash. Talk about coincidences."

"Tell me about it," Moose replied. "This kid knows our family in more ways than one. It's pretty weird."

"Well, I _have_ been traveling for years," Ash said as he scratched his cheek with embarrassed humility. "I've met so many people during that time."

"So, tell me, Ash," Layla said, as she took a jug of juice and refilled her glass, "whatever happened to those friends of yours? Dawn and Brock? They're not with you anymore?"

"Well, they both left to pursue their own goals. Brock wanted to study and become a Pokémon Doctor, and Dawn, well, she wanted to compete in Hoenn Contests. I couldn't come with either of them because I heard about the Unova region and wanted to continue my travels there. But I still keep in touch with them."

Serena's brow furrowed with heightening concern. Knowing that Ash traveled with another girl before was one thing, but learning that Ash was still _in contact_ with said girl? What kind of things would they talk about whenever they wanted to catch up? Would they get all lovey-dovey? ...No, it couldn't be, Ash was oblivious to romance, she of all people should know that! ...But...what if this Dawn girl managed to beat her to punch? Would that explain why Ash seemed so dense every time she tried to throw hints of her true feelings at his direction? Was it because his heart just belonged to someone else? Actually, it _does_ make sense...

A lot of sense, actually!

"Serena, are you okay?"

Serena squeaked upon hearing Ash's voice talking to her. She stared at her crush's face, which was wearing an expression of curiosity.

"Your face is so red, and you're sweating like you just got out of the pool!" he said.

"Pika," Pikachu added, nodding his head in concern.

"Y-Y-Yeah," Serena stuttered. "I'm-I'm fine, Ash. J-J-Just fine."

"You sure?"

"Y-Y-Yes! I-I've never been surer in my entire life!"

At the corner of her eye, she saw Bonnie and Shauna looking at each other with knowing expressions on their faces. Dear Arceus, she _was_ that obvious, wasn't she?

Fortunately for her, Ash took her word for it. Just as quickly as a Rapidash, he focused his attention back on Calem.

"So, Calem, can you show me your Pokémon?" he asked.

Calem's attention became piqued. "Excuse me, what?" he replied with confusion.

"Can you show me your full team of Pokémon? I want to see what you've got!"

"O-Okay..." Putting down his kitchen utensils, Calem stood up from the table, walked over to the middle of the yard, and pulled out six Poké Balls. "Come on out, everyone!" He threw the devices into the air, summoning an Empoleon, Gallade, Scizor, Ferrothorn, Swellow, and...a Golem with a strangely different appearance. All of them let out cries of triumph as they looked at Ash, who stared back in amazement.

"Awesome!" the raven-haired Trainer cried, just as Pikachu chose to join his side. "So these are all of your Pokémon?!"

"That's just my current team, though," Calem replied as he meekly scratched the back of his head. "I've got about a hundred other Pokémon living at my parents' ranch back in Sinnoh."

Ash and Pikachu examined each Pokémon in turn before focusing on the bizarre-looking Golem, which stuck its head up proudly, showing off what could be called a large beard. "Whoa, is that supposed to be a Golem?"

"Believe it or not, it is."

"I never knew Golem could look like that..."

"Pika-pika..." Pikachu added, tilting his head in confusion.

"That's because its kind only comes from a region called Alola."

Ash stared at Calem with intrigue. "Alola?" he asked.

"Yes. I caught this Golem while vacationing there last summer. Here, I have the Pokédex entry..."

Calem pulled out his Pokédex, activated it, and scrolled through his entry history before finding the right one. He then showed it to Ash.

 ** _"Alolan Golem,"_** the Pokédex explained, _**"the evolved form of Alolan Graveler and the final evolved from of Alolan Geodude.**_ ** _It is capable of firing rocks charged with electricity. The rocks it fires are so effective that just grazing an opponent will cause numbness and fainting."_**

"Wow..." Ash replied. "So there's another form for Geodude too. I bet Brock would love to see that... You say they can only be found in Alola?"

"Yes, that's correct." Calem put away his Pokédex and smiled in reminiscence. "It's a pretty nice place, if you ask me. I recommend going over there when you have the chance. A bunch of other Pokémon species that you've probably seen before have strange forms there."

Ash looked back at Golem, which was now sizing up a startled Pikachu. "Maybe I will..."

Meanwhile, Serena, Clemont, Bonnie, Shauna, Tierno, and Trevor all stood up from the table to join Calem's Pokémon as well as Dedenne and Rhyhorn. Bonnie and Dedenne both quickly took a liking to the surprisingly playful Ferrothorn, Clemont wound up having to duck for cover after accidentally agitating Swellow, Shauna and Tierno were examining Gallade and Scizor, and Trevor was busy taking photos of the Alolan Golem.

As for Serena, she approached Empoleon, which stared back at her. Its eye glinted upon recognizing her, and it let out a friendly squawk.

"So this is your Piplup, Calem?" she asked.

"Yep, that's the same ole rascal," Calem replied, staring proudly at his starter Pokémon.

"It's been quite a while since I last saw him. He was a little Prinplup back then..."

The honey-blonde girl then pulled out her Pokédex and aimed it at Empoleon. The device activated itself at the sight of the Emperor Pokémon and explained, _**"Empoleon, the evolved form of Prinplup and the final evolved form of Piplup. Empoleon can swim as fast as a speedboat, and the edges of their wings are sharp enough to slice apart drifting ice."**_

Empoleon suddenly squawked again and opened its beak. Before Serena could react, it shot a Hydro Pump at her, which knocked her to the ground, completely soaked and dripping.

"SERENA!" Ash, Clemont, and Bonnie all cried in concern, while Calem struggled to hold back his laughter.

" **NOOOOO!** " Serena screamed in frustration. "My clothes, they're are all WET!"

"What was that for, Empoleon?!" Ash snapped, jerking his head at Empoleon's direction; the Emperor Pokémon looked rather pleased with itself.

"Yeah, that was very rude of you!" Bonnie added, her cheeks puffing out.

"PIKA!" Pikachu squeaked in outrage.

"NENE!" Dedenne squeaked as well.

"I'm so sorry, guys," Calem replied, trying his best not to burst out laughing. "Ever since I got Piplup, he always loved to greet Serena by dousing her with Water Gun. But I guess after all those years, it couldn't control itself and used Hydro Pump instead. Quite a greeting, if I do say so myself."

Empoleon nodded proudly with agreement.

"You're enjoying this, aren't you, Calem?!" snapped Serena as she started to shiver.

"A little, yeah."

"Don't worry, Serena," Grace said nonchalantly, while Layla and Moose were chuckling to each other lightheartedly. "You go take a shower and I'll prepare some new clothes for you while we dry your outfit."

Serena shot Calem and Empoleon a scathing look before standing up and stalking towards the house.

"This is even worse than Goomy's Rain Dance..." she muttered to herself. As she passed the front door, the Performer took a lock of her honey-blonde hair and squeezed it a little to relieve it of the water that soaked it.

The water dripped to the floor.

_Drip..._

_Drip..._

_Drip..._

* * *

**Kiloude City**

_**Drip...** _

_**Drip...** _

_**Drip...** _

_**"Run, Aria! RUN!"** _

"Miss Aria!"

Reigning Kalos Queen Aria woke up with a startled gasp. For the briefest moment, she expected to see green and orange. Instead, she saw the cool-gray eyes of her chauffeur, and for that, she sighed in relief.

"Have we arrived, Ardmore?" she asked.

"Oui, miss," the chauffeur replied. "We're home. And your master awaits." He then noticed Aria's pose, which easily indicated discomfort. "If you're uncomfortable with this, miss, I can just-"

"No!" Aria interrupted suddenly. Then, she composed herself and continued in a calmer voice, "No, Ardmore. There's no need to call Master Palermo." She gazed out of the window. "It's about time I did this."

Ardmore nodded in understanding. "If you insist, Miss Aria."

Aria nodded back, smiling faintly at the older man. Then, she took a couple of deep breaths, flexed her fingers, adjusted her large blue bow, and then put on a convincing smile that would make anyone's hearts flutter.

"Alright," she said to herself. "Let's do this."

She opened the door, whereupon she was immediately bombarded by flashing lights, voices shouting questions and pleas at her, and a cacophony of girlish squeals. But that didn't faze Aria the slightest. She maintained her smile and cheerful expression as she got out of the sedan and waved, provoking even more squeals from excited fans.

 **"AAAAARIAAAAA!"** voices screamed.

Aria immediately forced her nightmare to the rearmost portion of her mind and continued smiling and waving. She proceeded to walk down through the massive crowd, all while enduring the constant flashes of light. Through those flashes, she saw Kiloude City's most famous landmark, the Laurier Maison.

Once Aria reached the massive wooden front doors, she waited for them to open up. Once they were fully open, the Kalos Queen turned around, waved one last time at the crowd of desperate paparazzi reporters and rabid fan-clubs, and stepped inside before the resident maids closed the doors on her. Once she was sure she was out of the public eye, the redhead heaved out a sigh of relief. Then, she turned around...and saw the closest person she could call a mother.

"Master," the Kalos Queen greeted.

"Aria," Palermo replied. The two stepped forward and shared a brief but emotional hug. "It's been a memorable year."

The two proceeded to walk away from the lobby and into a living room, where they seated themselves in separate luxury sofas.

"Indeed it has been, Master. There were lots of Performances, some memorable and others...not so much. But I guess it's the same old, same old in the end."

Palermo's eye twinkled suddenly. "Not exactly..."

"You're talking about Serena, aren't you?"

The producer nodded. "That girl... She has a lot of potential in her. I saw it. She's not you, but with the proper guidance, she can be you, and even more."

Aria arched an eyebrow. "But didn't she turn down your offer to mentor her?"

"Yes, she did. But I'm still keeping that offer open. And if she insists on turning me down, then I have other options available for her, all just as good for her future."

"But it's a shame she turned you down, Master. I agree with you one-hundred percent; she would've made a great Kalos Queen. She would've brought so many smiles, more than I could even comprehend." The redhead sighed heavily. "It's a shame I had to defeat her in the Gloire Master Class..."

Palermo looked at her former student with an expression of curiosity, though it would be hard for anyone to discern it through her seemingly perpetual sternness. "Do you mean to tell me you _wanted_ that girl to replace you?"

"It's not that I dislike this position, Master, but...I have the longest tenure as Kalos Queen in Showcase history, no one's posed a serious challenge to me during that time besides Serena, and life as Kalos Queen gets really repetitive and monotonous sometimes." When she noticed Palermo's surprised expression, she continued, "Master, what I mean to say is that, well...I need a little change of pace."

"I thought that was what this Exhibition Showcase was for."

"That's what I thought too. But now, I honestly don't know." Aria sighed again. "I'm sorry, Master. It's just..."

Her voice trailed off, prompting Palermo to reply, "It's completely understandable. I know this time of the year is a little hard for you."

"It always is..."

Palermo suddenly smiled. "Which is why I decided to call over someone, for a little well-needed emotional guidance. I believe you know her."

She snapped her fingers, prompting another door to open. A young woman stepped into the living room; she had red hair like Aria's, but she also had blue eyes. Accompanying this woman was a well-groomed Lopunny wearing a few fancy accessories. Aria's red eyes widened at the sight of the newest arrival.

" _Paris_?" she asked incredulously.

The woman smiled and replied, "Hey, little sis. How are you doing?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And thus concludes this chapter! We get to learn a little about Serena's extended family, as well as a little about the personal life of Kalos Queen Aria! In the next chapter, our heroes will advance to Kiloude City, where the real story will begin!
> 
> Well, hope you enjoyed this chapter! TheCartoonFanatic01 is out. PEACE!


	3. Hometown Is Where the Heart Is

**Vaniville Town**

Serena stepped out of the shower, wearing nothing but a pink towel wrapped around her body. She stepped into her bedroom, where she found Grace setting up her new clothes. The woman looked over her shoulder upon hearing one of the floorboards creak with Serena's footstep.

"Oh, Serena!" she said, smiling. "I'm just preparing these clothes for you. You'll be wearing them for the day while I dry out your regular ones."

"Thanks, Mom," replied Serena, smiling back.

"No problem, honey." Grace then looked back at the aforementioned clothes and straightened out the shirt. "It's a good thing the hotel I made reservations for has its own laundromat."

"Yeah...that's good to know..." However, the honey-blonde started to stare through her mother, as she became lost in her own thoughts.

While she was in the shower, her mind had settled back on her worries about Ash and this Dawn character. Did she really just waste almost a year trying to get Ash to realize that she liked him? Did she underestimate him and his perceptions about love and romance? Was it all over for her in regards to her future with him? What was Dawn like? How good of a person did she have to be if she had Ash's attention so much?

"Alright, then!" Grace exclaimed, bringing Serena back to reality. "All finished!" She looked back at her daughter and noticed her worried look. "Serena, are you alright, honey?"

"Yeah, I'm fine, Mom. It's just..."

Her voice trailed off, prompting Grace to ask, "Is it about Ash?" When Serena blushed intensely and opened her mouth, the former jockey quickly interrupted, "Don't think I don't know about your thing with Ash! Trust me, I pay attention to you more closely than you think! And every time I see you looking at him, I see it in your eyes. The light." She smiled. "You don't have to be embarrassed, Serena. Love is a wonderful thing."

Serena sulked. "It's not wonderful if he doesn't know about it, though..."

"Then what are you waiting for? Tell him how you feel, honey!"

The Performer chuckled dryly. "It's not that simple, Mom..."

Grace crossed her arms. "Oh, don't tell me you're waiting for some sort of invitation! You shouldn't be so fancy and dramatic about that, Serena!"

"It's-It's not like that, Mom! I...I keep trying to clue him in on it, but no matter how obvious I can get, he's so DENSE!" Serena's expression turned forlorn. "And...I think...I think he might have...someone already..."

It pained her to say those last two words, but she had to anyway. She had to get it off her chest somehow.

"Oh..." Grace's eyes softened. "I see..." Then, she approached her daughter and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Then you still need to tell Ash about how you feel. That way, you can let all of that pent-up emotion go. Trust me, no one can keep something as personal as that bottled up inside. If you do that, you'll explode one day."

"Well, I can't tell him now. It could weigh on his mind and interfere with his Kalos League goals."

"Then wait till that's over with. That way, he'll have nothing important on his mind. I mean, there's no rush, right?"

Serena smiled a little and nodded, knowing her mother was right about that. It wasn't the end of the world if she didn't tell Ash her feelings right now.

"I guess that's true..." she said.

"Good. You see, Serena, that's why you should listen to your mother!"

Serena rolled her eyes. "Yeah, right. The last time I listened to you, Mom, my face got wrecked."

Grace rolled her eyes as well. "I see you haven't lost the sass I mentioned." Then, she seemed to remember something, and she took a look at her wristwatch. "Oh! I gotta go get the tickets! You get changed, honey. I doubt being dressed in a towel is within Showcase dress ethics."

The Performer giggled as her mother quickly left the bedroom, closing the door behind her as she did. Then, she gazed at the clothes Grace prepared for her: a ruffled pink camisole, a red scalloped skirt, white-and-pink-striped over-the-knee socks, and a beige cycling cap with a pink artificial flower-pin. Serena smiled at the knowledge that her mother could finally understand her style of clothing.

Then, she frowned.

_**"Y** _ **_ou still need to tell Ash about how you feel. That way, you can let all of that pent-up emotion go."_ **

_"But what happens when I_ do _tell him how I feel, Mom?"_ she thought. _"How will he react to this? Will he tell me if his heart already belongs to someone else? Even if he doesn't have a girlfriend, will he still accept my feelings? What if he doesn't? What then? I...I only have room for Ash in my heart... There was never anyone else for me...and I don't think there ever will be..."_

Serena sighed sadly as she proceeded to change into her new clothes.

* * *

**A few minutes later**

"You're a keeper! Please take care of my brother!"

"Nenene!"

"WHAAAAA?!"

Those were the first words Serena heard when she stepped out of the house, wearing the new set of clothing her mother selected for her. At first, the honey-blonde girl thought Bonnie was making another one of her adorable and innocuous "proposals" to a random woman on the street.

To her surprise, however, she saw Bonnie kneeling before _her Aunt Layla_.

"C-Come again?" Layla asked, utterly perplexed by the little girl's sudden act. Moose was right behind her, blinking rapidly, unsure of how to respond to this... _move_ on his own wife.

"I know you're already someone else's wife," replied Bonnie, her voice unflinching, "but my brother really needs a wife who can take good care of him, and there's no one better than someone who's gonna be taking care of babies soon!"

"Dedenne!" Dedenne squeaked, the Antenna Pokémon nodding its head in agreement.

" _Bonnie_!" Clemont cried, his face going completely red. "I told you to stop this a million times!" He activated his Aipom Arm, which grabbed Bonnie by the back, and the inventor proceeded to drag his little sister away while the others watched. "You're being very rude, asking something like that to a woman who's already _married_!"

But Bonnie was completely oblivious about the nature of the whole thing. "Think about it, okay Layla?!"

"Dedenne!" squeaked Dedenne.

"Oh, my goodness!" Serena cried. She immediately ran up to her aunt and bowed her head to her in embarrassment. "I'm so sorry about my friend, Auntie Layla! She's just a kid; she doesn't know much about romance-"

"Oh, it's okay, Serena honey," Layla replied. There was a look of adoration and amusement on her face. "Your friend's just adorable."

Upon remembering Bonnie mentioning kids, Serena looked at her aunt's stomach. "I just realized, it's been a while since we last talked on the phone. Is the baby a boy or a girl?"

Layla looked down at her abdomen and smiled fondly. "Actually, your Uncle Moose and I realized we are now blessed with two children. Girls, actually."

Serena looked up in amazement. She was going to have twin cousins?! "Both of them?"

"Yes, both of them." The young woman looked at her teenage niece with a look of pure, unadulterated happiness. "What do you think, Serena? Think you can be a role model to two little girls?"

The Performer was quick to envision two adorable little girls standing before her, eager to learn something new from their older, more experienced cousin. She could imagine herself teaching them the wonders of Pokémon Showcases, the art of fashion, the appeal of adventuring across their home region and meeting new friends and Pokémon... And the undeniable magic of love...

For some reason, Serena also started to envision a featureless man with unkempt hair standing by her side, assisting her in teaching their children-

"I'd love to, Auntie Layla," she quickly replied, dispelling her thoughts.

"Thank you, Serena," the woman replied. "After all, the girls need someone to look up to, and there's no one better than you. I'm counting on you to be a good cousin to them."

"I will, Auntie Layla, I promise."

"Don't make promises you can't keep, Serena," Moose said seriously, seconds before receiving an elbow to the chest.

" _Moose_!" Layla exclaimed jokingly. "Don't put pressure on her!"

Moose chuckled and rubbed the back of his head nervously, just before Grace emerged from the house carrying several tickets in her hand.

"Alright, everyone!" the former Rhyhorn Racer announced. "Let's get going! We don't wanna miss the next train to Kiloude City!"

"Man, Kiloude City," Ash said in wonder. "I wonder what it's gonna look like..."

"Pika, pika," added Pikachu.

"Well, looks like we're gonna find out, won't we?" Calem replied as he took out his Poké Balls. "Okay, everyone, return."

His six Pokémon were all recalled back into their respective containers. Then, Grace walked out of the Gabena yard first, followed by the others. Serena was the last to leave, saying goodbye to the now-depressed Rhyhorn by patting its head beforehand. Then, with Grace's Fletchling in the lead, the group proceeded through Vaniville Town.

As they continued, Serena examined each of her companions in turn.

Calem had begun to tell Shauna, Tierno, and Trevor a story about his adventures in the Johto region after his Sinnoh League challenge. Tierno and Trevor were both impressed by the details, but Serena was more focused on Shauna. She couldn't help but notice the absolute awe in her rival's eyes, not to mention the faint blush in her cheeks. Serena stifled a giggle, unsure why Shauna would be falling for her idiot of a cousin.

Bonnie was having a conversation with Layla and Moose about their unborn twin children. She also predictably continued the topic of claiming Layla as Clemont's "wife" while Dedenne was being supportive of the idea and Squishy was purely nonchalant of the whole thing. Fortunately for Serena, her Aunt Layla was always receptive to kids; she played along a little with Bonnie's misconceptions, while Moose just laughed and Clemont simply blushed and trembled in embarrassment beside them.

As for Ash and Pikachu, well, they were admiring the sights and sounds of Vaniville Town.

"Wow, so that's how the people in Vaniville live!" the raven-haired Trainer exclaimed in amazement. "And look at those streams and fountains! And all of the people and Pokémon! I wish Pallet Town was a little like that!"

"Pika, pikachu!" Pikachu chirped in agreement.

Serena instinctively caught up to Ash and asked, "Do you like what you see, Ash?"

"Yeah!" her crush replied. "For a small town, Vaniville has a very nature-y feel to it! I like it! And it's in the middle of a very wide field! Where I come from, Pallet Town is in the middle of a valley. We have some fields and plains, but mostly it's just mountains all around. It's not like I hate how Pallet Town looks, but..." Ash took in a deep breath as he relished in the scenery. "I do wonder what it's like to live in a different place such as this."

The Performer blinked, unsure why Ash was saying that stuff. In fact, she realized something: ever since he learned they were going to have to pass through Vaniville Town to get to Kiloude City, he had been displaying an almost unhealthy interest in her hometown. What was it about the town that was attracting his undivided attention so much? There's simply no way a simple town like her own could be _that_ interesting to a mobile guy like Ash, right...?

It didn't take long for the group to arrive at their intended destination: a small, humble-looking monorail station. Serena remembered the construction that had been going on in her hometown before she left, and assumed this was what they were building.

"This monorail will take us to Kiloude City," Grace said. She then held out the tickets for everyone to see. "Take one ticket each."

As soon as everyone got their own ticket, Grace approached the quaint little toll booth, which was being manned by only one person and his Klang. The collector, a serene-looking old man who almost resembled a withering flower, looked up at the former jockey with squinted eyes and smiled.

"Ah, Grace," he greeted with a quivery voice. "Very nice to see you."

"Hi, Willy," Grace replied, smiling back as her Fletchling landed on her shoulder. "It's good you've got something to do every day now."

"Fletch, fletchling," chirped Fletchling.

"Ehhhhh, I still prefer watering the garden and watching the young'uns play." He then looked out of the window. "It's a nice day out here, isn't it?"

"It sure is. Listen, I've got eleven tickets for a one-way trip to Kiloude City."

"Ah, Kiloude City! Of course, of course..." Willy took the ticket from Grace. "And I'm gonna need the rest of 'em tickets..."

One by one, the others gave Willy their respective tickets. Once it was Serena's turn to give her ticket, the old man smiled widely, showing off his disturbingly few, yellowed teeth. The honey-blonde shuddered in disgust; she remembered how Willy was quite an obnoxious, stereotypical old countryman, even when she was little. Yes, he was pretty nice, but certainly not someone to be around for more than a few minutes at most.

"Ahhhhh, Stella!" he exclaimed. "It's been so long since I last saw your little button of a face!"

"Hi, Willie," Serena replied quickly as she gave him her ticket. "And...it's Serena..."

The old man seemed to ignore her, for he was now tapping his chin and lost in thought. "You know, a few hours ago, I saw a girl who looked a lot like you, but with pink hair-"

Serena's eyes widened in concern. It wasn't like she hated Willy, but every time she was forced to talk to him, he would always go on and on and ON about every single thing in existence. Stories about his childhood, comments about the most uninteresting things, remarks on the weather...there was always something he had a word to say about. And once he opened his mouth for a casual conversation, there was just no stopping him. He would ramble on and on for days if he had to, like a senile old man...

Oh, who was she kidding?! Willy _was_ a senile old man!

"I'm sure it's very interesting, Willy," she said quickly, "but I think you have a job to do. We'll take about it some other time."

"Oh, okay..."

Willy continued accepting the group's tickets, and once he received the last ticket from Moose, he laid back on his chair and prepared to take out a newspaper.

"You all have fun at Kiloude City," he said. "I hear there's some fashion show going on there."

"I know, right?!" Grace replied. She then pointed to Serena with pride. "And my little Serena's going to be in it!"

Willy's eyebrows shot up. "Really, now? I once knew a lovely gal in my neighborhood who took part in those shows. She was quite a beauty-"

"Okaythat'sverynicetoknowbyeWilly!" Serena exclaimed in one single breath before she ran off to the station platform.

* * *

**Vaniville Station  
A couple of minutes later**

Serena rocked her legs back and forth and took a sideways glance down the single railroad, waiting patiently for the train to Kiloude City to arrive. Right now, she was sitting on a bench with Clemont, Bonnie, and Grace. Clemont was fiddling around with a wristwatch, Bonnie was busy grooming Dedenne, and Grace was merely sitting idly, not having anything to do to pass her time. The others were gathered around Ash and Calem, listening to them exchange stories about their many adventures across several regions.

"When's this train supposed to come again, Serena?" Bonnie asked. Her tone was one of slight impatience as she continued stroking Dedenne's tail, to the satisfaction of the Antenna Pokémon.

"In five minutes and twenty-three seconds, Central Kalos Time," Clemont replied after inspecting his wristwatch.

"I wasn't asking you, Clemont." The girl then stared at the wristwatch suspiciously. "And why am I supposed to trust that watch of yours?"

"It's one of the most, if not _the_ most, accurate watches in the world." Clemont chuckled proudly, and his glasses shone brilliantly from the sunlight. "I would know because I invented it myself, for occasions such as this! The future is now, thanks to science!" He thrust his wristwatch into the air for everyone else to see and admire. "The Amazingly Accurate Wristwatch! It tells you what time it is all around the world, with a 100 percent accuracy!"

"Ohhh, does it now...?" Serena asked, pretending to be impressed while she instinctively scooted away from Clemont's position, as did Bonnie.

"Yes! All the times displayed here were calculated through the most precise calculations of our position on the earth, as well as the current temperature! And it doesn't require any bothersome regulations or adjustments!"

" _Wow_!" Ash exclaimed, his eyes wide and sparkling with awe. "Science is so amazing!"

"A 100-percent accurate watch, huh?" Calem replied, raising an eyebrow as he looked at the aspiring inventor. "That sounds like a really handy watch."

Clemont's grin widened even more at the praise, and he started to get carried away with pride in his invention.

"Yeah, it sure is!"

"So I assume inventing is your area of expertise?"

The Lumiose Gym Leader nodded. "I hope to become one of the best inventors out there!"

"One of the best, huh?" Calem eyed the wristwatch. "You probably should start selling that thing, Clemont. I think it'll be an instant hit with the watch manufacturers."

"Yeah, and clown colleges too," Bonnie deadpanned quietly enough so that only Serena and Dedenne could hear.

"You think so?!" exclaimed Clemont. "Well then, I guess I'll consider it!" He looked at the Amazingly Accurate Wristwatch, all the while beaming proudly. "Yeah, I think people will love this!"

* * *

**Fifteen minutes later**

The monorail train rolled into the station and slowed down to a stop. By that point, Serena was already up on her feet, having expected the train to come at that time. Once the train stopped, Bonnie and Grace stood up from the bench as well, followed by a glum and evidently disappointed Clemont.

"The Amazingly Accurate Wristwatch, huh?" Bonnie asked sarcastically.

Clemont's eyelid twitched, but he merely sighed sadly as he fell in behind Shauna.

* * *

**Somewhere in southern Kalos  
About an hour later**

Serena stared out of the window, watching the lively trees, beautiful fields, and jubilant people and Pokémon as the train whizzed past them. Eventually, the honey-blonde caught sight of something interesting: a man proposing to his girlfriend on the middle of a bridge over a glittering river, with their River Pattern Vivillon flying overhead to bear witness. Before her view could be obstructed by another few rows of trees, Serena could see the awestruck, teary-eyed woman happily embracing her boyfriend...

The Performer smiled longingly...

"Hey, Serena!"

Her thoughts quickly dispelling, Serena turned her gaze towards Bonnie, who was looking at her with an adorably expectant expression.

"Yes, Bonnie?" she replied.

"Look at this flyer!" Bonnie exclaimed excitedly, quickly pointing at the aforementioned sheet of paper. "I found it at the train station!"

Serena took the flyer from the little blonde girl and read it. It was an advertisement for the Exhibition Showcase in Kiloude City, featuring none other than Kalos Queen Aria and her trusty Pokémon Delphox, Aromatisse, and Vivillon.

"What about it, Bonnie?" she asked.

"Read the bottom of the paper! You're not gonna believe it!"

"Okay..." Serena's pupils flitted to the bottom, and the Performer read it. "'Celebrate the end of a beautiful season of Showcases with Aria in'..." Her sapphire-blue eyes widened in surprise. "'Her hometown'?! Wow, I don't believe it!"

"What?" Ash asked, his attention diverted from the conversation he was having with Trevor. "What don't you believe?"

"You guys, Aria's from Kiloude City!"

"Well, of course she is," Shauna replied, her eyebrow raised. "You didn't know that?"

"O-Oh, no, not really..." Serena looked back down at the photo of the smiling, joyful Aria. "...To be honest...I never knew anything about her personal life..." She then flashed back to the time she first met Aria in person (even though she didn't know it was Aria because she was in disguise at the time), and thought, _"I didn't have the chance to ask her..."_

Her gaze deepened, and she began to recall all of the times she saw Aria perform so gracefully and flawlessly, without a care in the world, and always with that smile on her face.

_"I've always thought Aria was so perfect, just like everyone else, but...now that I know this very personal detail about her, I realize she was just like me at one point... She had to have been..."_

**_"A Pokémon Performer always has to wear a wonderfully radiant smile! That's the way you make everyone in your audience happy!"_ **

_"I wonder...who would've given her that advice? I don't think she came up with that on her own. Was it something Palermo told her a long time ago...?"_

"YES! FINISHED!"

Clemont's sudden outburst caught the attention of everyone else in the train carriage.

"What's finished, Clemont?" Bonnie asked, though she could already tell what the answer was going to be.

"Dede..." Dedenne sighed out.

"The Amazingly Accurate Watch!" the inventor proclaimed proudly, showing the watch for his friends (and any other interested passengers) to see. "And _now_ it's amazingly accurate!"

But Bonnie wasn't convinced. "Really? What's the time?"

"That's easy! 12:00 AM, Central Kalos Time!"

"Oh, okay."

...

...

...

"Wait a minute, 12:00 AM...?" Trevor deadpanned.

"Yeah," Clemont replied proudly. "Central Kalos Time."

...

"Isn't 12:00 AM supposed to be _midnight_?"

Clemont nodded proudly. "Yep."

"So you're saying it's midnight right now," said Tierno.

"Y-"

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

"I adjusted the wrong time..." he said.

"I thought so," Bonnie replied, patting her older brother's thigh consolingly.

 _ **"Ladies and gentleman,"**_ a voice suddenly announced over an intercom, _ **"welcome...to Kiloude City."**_

Upon hearing this news, the eight Trainers, plus Bonnie, all gasped in wonder as the train rounded a corner behind a grassy hill. Immediately afterwards, it gave them, and the other passengers, a perfect view of their destination. It was a city as big and majestic as Lumiose. It was literally divided in half by a river originating from a nearby mountain, with the water running across its midsection. The most noteworthy building was a large castle, no doubt the place where the Exhibition Showcase was scheduled to be held.

"Wow, so _that's_ Kiloude City..." Serena breathed out in awe. "It's...It's _beautiful_! And to think I've never, ever visited it before!"

"It's amazing, isn't it?" Shauna asked, her eyes shining with amazement.

"Man, I can't wait to see what kind of Trainers Kiloude City has over there!" Ash exclaimed, his fist clenched.

"Pika, pikachu!" Pikachu added in agreement.

* * *

In the skies, Team Rocket continued to follow the monorail from a safe distance. James and Meowth were taking turns inspecting the train with binoculars, both of them looking glum in the process. As for Jessie, she was already dressed in her Showcase dress, and she was now admiring her reflection with a handheld mirror. Wobbuffet and Gourgeist were both out of their Poké Balls.

"Ooooohhhhh, it looks like _I'm_ gonna be the prettiest in the ball!" Jessie squealed with excitement. "Just you wait, world! Jessilee is ready to prove once and for all who is the most beautiful and elegant of the Performers! I will be so beautiful, even Kalos Queen Bella will grovel before my shining feet!"

"Hooray..." James and Meowth both deadpanned at the same time.

However, Jessie was too engrossed in her own narcissism to detect the complete absence of her comrades' enthusiasm. "Oh please, James, Meowth! You're too kind! I know it must be humbling to be in the presence of such a talented and stunning Performer-"

"Wind!" Meowth suddenly shouted.

"Yes, yes! I'm so drop-dead gorgeous that everyone will be blown away like a wind-"

"No!" The talking Scratch Cat Pokémon pointed out of the hot-air balloon. "I mean _wind_!"

Jessie and James saw it for the first time: a strange vortex of wind in midair, concentrated in one area. Upon closer inspection, it seemed as if the air itself was being rapidly _absorbed_ into whatever was in the center. And Team Rocket's balloon was hovering dangerously close to the strange phenomenon.

"AAAAAGH!" James shrieked, his voice cracking. "ABORT, ABORT!"

"Get us outta here, James, pronto!" Jessie snapped desperately. "I'm too pretty for this!"

But it was too late: before Team Rocket even had enough time to maneuver their balloon, the vortex exploded in a flash of light. The shock-wave of air generated by the explosion was so concentrated that it was akin to a blade shot out of a cannon. It ripped straight through the hot-air balloon, slicing it in half and sending the lower half (which included the basket Team Rocket was riding in) tumbling through the air.

 **"AAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHH!"** the wannabe criminal trio screeched as they whizzed through the air, further towards Kiloude City. **"TEAM ROCKET'S BLASTING OFF AGAIN!"**

 **"WOOOOOBUFFEEEEET!"** cried a terrified Wobbuffet.

* * *

Back in the monorail carriage, Serena, Ash, and the others saw Team Rocket's balloon shoot past them, the air comically sputtering out of its tattered fabric, the screams of the trio trailing out of it. Serena, Ash, Clemont, and Bonnie all sweat-dropped, being quick to recognize the fabric of that hot-air balloon.

"What _was_ that?" Layla asked, trying to squint her eyes so she could get a better look of the disappearing balloon.

"Nothing," Serena replied bluntly.

* * *

**Kiloude Forest**

A couple of miles away, in another portion of the forest that surrounded Kiloude City, there was another spot where air was being absorbed into a strange vortex. It exploded as well, shredding apart nearby trees and vegetation and forcing wild Pokémon to flee in fear...

* * *

**Laurier Maison, Kiloude City**

Aria and Paris strolled through the vast backyard of the Laurier Maison. The latter's Lopunny walked right behind them, making sure to keep a safe distance from the two sisters. At first, the two were quiet; after all, they hadn't seen each other in person for over a year, not to mention the last time they talked on the phone was months ago. They were unsure of what to say after that long. But finally, Aria chose to break the silence.

"I didn't have time to watch the Goldenrod Collection on TV. How was it, sis?"

"It was good, very good," Paris replied. "The Stylists all did their best." She then looked down at her younger sister. "How about you? I hear it's been an interesting year for Showcases."

Aria smiled fondly. "It was, actually. The Performers were all great in their own way. Especially this one Performer named Serena. She reminds me of me, a very long time ago..." She sighed heavily. "Looking at her was a trip down memory lane."

"Serena, you say?" Paris closed her eyes as she searched through her memories. "Oh, yes, yes, I remember her too. The one with the Fennekin that evolved into Braixen, right?"

"Yes, that's her."

"Ah, yes, I can see why she'd remind you of yourself back then. Innocent and naive, a pure novice searching for her proper place in this new world that she immersed herself into... She reminds me of my apprentice too." Then, Paris stopped and looked at Aria, who had also stopped and was now absentmindedly gazing at the distant mountains. "Is she the reason why you chose to come back home?"

Aria smiled sadly. "Yeah..."

Then, Paris looked ahead of her and smiled upon seeing a farm nearby. There, she could see two farmhands, one a teenage boy and the other a young woman, attending to a few Pokémon, some of which she could recognize.

"Well," the Pokémon Stylist replied, "I think this will your spirits."

The sisters continued towards the farm, and once they were close enough, they heard a cheerful squawk. An Altaria that was in the group of Pokémon attempted to fly towards them, but it turned out to be more of a large hop. It landed near the wooden fence and chirped at Aria, whose eyes lit up at the sight of it.

"Hi, Sylvia!" she greeted, bending down to scratch the Humming Pokémon's chin. "It's been a while since I last saw you! How are you doing?"

The Altaria merely chirruped happily in response as it continued to accept Aria's comfortable scratching.

"Ar?" a voice called. "Is...Is that you? Is that _really_ you?"

Both farmhands were approaching Aria and Paris, accompanied by a Zangoose; the boy, who was around Aria's age, was giving her a smile of amazement. Aria stopped scratching Altaria's chin and smiled back at him.

"Hi, Foster," she replied.

"Hi yourself." The farmhand continued to smile, unsure if what he was seeing was real or not; his eyes were sparkling with a mix of emotions. "I can't believe it... You're actually back!"

Aria shrugged. "Well...yeah. I mean, unless Lysandre Labs found a way to invent life-sized holograms, I don't see how I'm not actually here..." She then pushed her true emotions back and gave him her signature smile. "It's so good to see you again, Foster!"

Foster opened his mouth and tried to say something, but words couldn't come out, so he turned away and scratched the back of his head in embarrassment. The female farmhand giggled at her younger partner's antics before looking at Aria and Paris.

"Don't mind my silly brother, guys," she said, pretending to whisper to them. "He hasn't seen a real girl in a while."

"AMARA!" Foster shrieked, startling the Zangoose. His face was completely red with embarrassment, and his outburst prompted both the other farmhand and Paris to laugh a little.

"Oh, it's been a while, hasn't it, Mar?" Paris asked.

"Yeah," Amara replied before she gave the Stylist a hug. "So you guys are here for the Exhibition Showcase, right?" When both Aria and Paris nodded, the farmhand continued, "We've been hearing about it all around town. I know you probably know this already, but it's proving to be a really big event. Especially since our beloved Kalos Queen grew up here." She patted Aria on the top of her head. "You know, my mom and I are both very proud of you."

"Really?" Aria asked.

"Yeah! We watch your Showcases all the time! We especially enjoyed the latest Master Class competition." She then shot Foster a playful look. "And he will not admit it, but my little bro has a shrine dedicated to you too."

Paris struggled to hold back her laughter, while Aria looked at the red-faced Foster in shock and surprise. She didn't know Foster followed her that closely and devotedly; she always thought he would dismiss Showcases as girly stuff that should be avoided at all times, like the plague.

"I'M GONNA FEED THE RHYHORN, SIS!" Foster announced in an unusually loud voice. He then stomped off, the sweat practically dripping from his chin already.

Once Foster disappeared into the barn, Aria looked at Paris and Amara, only to find them deep in conversation. They were apparently talking about some homeless girl they found in the barn earlier today. She then looked at her sister's Lopunny, which had gotten itself acquainted with the Zangoose.

The Kalos Queen sighed sadly at being left out, but her worries were alleviated when the same Altaria, Sylvia, approached her and chirped happily at her. Aria smiled and stroked Sylvia's head, causing it to coo. But as the minutes passed, Aria's smile faded away, for the memories were starting to occupy her mind again.

**_"Remember this, Aria: a Pokémon Performer always has to wear a wonderfully radiant smile. That's the way you make everyone in your audience happy."_ **

Aria somberly gazed back at the distant mountains.

 _"I know how to make everyone in my audience happy,"_ she thought. _"But after all this time, I still don't know how to make_ myself _happy. How do I do it...?"_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And thus concludes this newest chapter! So, it looks like a strange phenomenon is happening all around Kiloude City, and Aria's not the happy, joyful Kalos Queen we knew! What will happen next? Find out, in the next chapter!
> 
> On a side-note, I will admit that things are going to be a little slow when it comes to addressing the time-travel theme. See, in the original story on FanFiction.Net, the first three chapters were already set in the future and followed how the time-travel incident would come to pass. Then, the next three chapters set up things in the present time a little before Ash and Serena met their future child. In this story, the only time the future was explicitly addressed, so far, was in the small prologue in the first chapter. As you can see, I'm changing things up a bit. But to those who are starting to fret about the alarming lack of time-travel concepts, don't worry! We'll find ourselves back in the events of the prologue in Chapter 5!
> 
> Well, hope you enjoyed this chapter! TheCartoonFanatic01 is out. PEACE!


	4. A Deluxe Experience

**Kiloude Station  
** **Kiloude City, southern Kalos**

Almost an hour after the group's first view of Kiloude City, their train eventually rolled into Kiloude Station and slowed down to a gradual stop. Once it did, the doors automatically slid open, allowing Ash, Serena, Clemont, Bonnie, and the rest of their group to exit their carriage with the other passengers. As soon as they all got out and found a clearing in the train station, Serena gawked in awe at her current surroundings.

"Wow, I can't believe we're here!" she exclaimed in excitement. "Kiloude City, the very hometown of the Kalos Queen Aria!"

"It's quite a sight, alright!" added Ash enthusiastically, though his auburn eyes were glued to the appealing ice cream stand situated at the corner of the station.

"Pika-pika!" Pikachu squeaked in agreement.

"Uh, pardon me for asking, but where exactly are we going to be staying at?" Clemont asked.

"Oh, you don't have to worry about that, Clemont," Grace replied, as she gestured to herself proudly. "I managed to book ourselves rooms at the local Blue Suns Deluxe Hotel!"

Serena, Clemont, and Bonnie's jaws all dropped open with profound shock. " _THE_ BLUE SUNS DELUXE HOTEL?!" they exclaimed simultaneously.

"The five-star hotel chain that's one of the top five most highly-rated hotel chains in the world?!" added Clemont incredulously.

"Yes, that Blue Suns Deluxe Hotel." The former jockey then raised her index finger. "And it's no joke, might I add!"

"Fletch, fletchling!" chirped Fletchling, who was now perched on Grace's shoulder.

Shauna started giggling at Serena, Clemont, and Bonnie's expressions. "Wow, Tierno, Trevor, and I had those exact expressions when your mom told us, Serena," she said.

"Wow, Mom..." Serena breathed out in amazement. "I...I didn't know you had that kind of money..."

"Oh, but it's not just my money, sweetie." Grace pointed at Calem, Layla, and Moose, who all smiled proudly at Serena. "They donated a share of the money. And it's not just them. Everyone all the way from Johto to Unova made a donation, one way or another!"

The Performer blinked twice in response. "Everyone in the family...?"

"Yep! You have no idea how many strings _I_ had to pull just so I could pitch in," Calem replied jokingly.

"Not everyone may have been able to make it to the party at Vaniville," Grace added, "but they wanted to show their pride in you all the same."

"Wow..." Serena's sapphire-blue eyes started shimmering with awe. Her entire family, not just her cousin, aunt, and uncle, contributed to this... "Thanks, you guys..."

"Hey," Moose replied, "after all that hard work you put into your career as a Pokémon Performer, you deserve every last reward." He sheepishly rubbed the back of his head. "Even if it means making my wallet cry, we'll pay it for you."

"Wow!" Bonnie exclaimed. "You have such an awesome family, Serena!"

"Nenene!" added Dedenne.

"And a big one too, apparently," Clemont remarked, adjusting his glasses as he recalled Grace's earlier statement. "Grace, you said you've got family living in other regions?"

Grace nodded. "That's right. The Gabena family is pretty large, and we live in a lot of places. It all started with the matriarch, our great-grandmother. Believe it or not, by the time she was 45, she had twenty children."

"TWENTY CHILDREN?!" Ash, Clemont, and Bonnie all shouted.

"PIKA?!" Pikachu cried in disbelief.

"Nene?" Dedenne asked, tilting its head in confusion.

"Yes, it's true." Then, Grace arched an eyebrow in curiosity as she turned her sights to Serena. "And to think, I thought Serena would've mentioned that fact to you guys by now..."

Serena replied dryly, "I don't know about you, Mom, but I don't consider being a part of a four-generation family with literally hundreds of members something to boast about..."

At that moment, the Performer's mind started to wander. She could recall all of the family reunions she was forced to go to, all in a different region. She never liked attending any of them; they were always so suffocating because of the large attendance and all of the names she had to memorize. She was always left out somehow; Calem was the only cousin she could really become close to, while the other children would just forget about her during playtime.

And now...for once, she felt as if she secured a true place in that family...the family she was once felt ashamed of...

"Well..." she added, "not anymore, that is..."

"Well, what're we waiting for?!" Calem exclaimed. "Let's get going to that hotel! I wanna have a taste of that five-star goodness!"

The group proceeded to leave Lumiose Station together. As they did, Serena could hear Ash, Clemont, and Bonnie talking with Shauna, Tierno, and Trevor.

"Twenty children, wow..." Clemont commented.

"Yeah, I can just _imagine_ the next two generations that would come next," Tierno replied. "That must hurt anyone's head. Must've been pretty hard on Serena, having to know who is who."

"And to think," Ash said, "I thought my friend Brock had the biggest family ever."

"Hey, let's not forget all the Officer Jennys and Nurse Joys," added Trevor.

"Wow, don't get me started on _those_ families, Trev!" exclaimed Tierno.

"How _do_ they even tell each other apart?" Bonnie asked in curiosity. "Their names are all the same!"

"Dedenne!" Dedenne chirped.

"One thing's for sure," Ash remarked, as he rested his head on his raised arms. "I'd hate to be a part of that family."

"Pika-pika," Pikachu added, the Mouse Pokémon nodding his head in agreement.

Serena's skin paled at that admission, and her step faltered a little. However, she managed to recompose herself and continue walking. Nevertheless, her mind started to replay Ash's sentence over and over again, and it seemed that not even the grand, magnificent sights and sounds of Kiloude City could keep her occupied.

* * *

**The Blue Suns Deluxe Hotel**

However, Serena was proven wrong when she and the others arrived at their hotel.

The entire group, sans Grace, Calem, Layla, and Moose, all gawked at the hotel in front of them. It was a gigantic building with dozens of stories, topped with what appeared to be an outdoor penthouse. Upon noticing their reaction, Calem's grin widened.

"I knew you guys would love it!" he said.

" _Awesome_!" Tierno cried, his smile as wide as it can be. "So... _this_ is gonna be our hotel...?"

"Hey, it _does_ say 'Blue Suns Deluxe Hotel' at the front, doesn't it?!" The Sinnohan Trainer clapped his hands together in satisfaction. "Isn't it fabulous?!"

"Yeah..." Ash breathed out in wonder. "Your family is so awesome, Serena, being able to put together all the money to pay for this stay and all!"

"Pika..." added Pikachu.

"Th-Thanks, Ash..." Serena replied bashfully.

"Well, it comes with having such a fantastic Pokémon Performer for a daughter," Grace replied proudly. "Now, come on! Let's go inside!"

Grace, Calem, Layla, and Moose started walking towards the hotel, with Grace's Fletchling flying on ahead. After taking a brief moment to admire the hotel's appearance some more, the others followed after them. As soon as they entered, their jaws dropped open again: the lobby was literally shining like gold, with a mighty chandelier hanging from the ceiling, illuminating the scarlet-and-green carpeting, the golden walls, and the fantastic twin marble staircases leading up to the first floor.

"Wow..." Shauna said, her eyes shining with astonishment.

"This...This is too much for me..." Trevor remarked. The Trainer was completely red-faced and sounded dangerously close to hyperventilating.

"Ah, good day, ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls," a kindly voice greeted. Ash, Serena, and the others saw an old man with a thick gray mustache and wearing a monocle stepping out from a gold desk and approaching Grace, accompanied by an aged but agile-looking Panpour. "Welcome to the Blue Suns Deluxe Hotel of Kiloude City. My name is Turner. How may I be of assistance?"

"Hi, Turner," Grace greeted, as Fletchling landed on her shoulder. "We're with the Gabena group. We wish to be escorted to the rooms that I reserved."

"Oh yes, the ones in the penthouse! Of course, of course! Follow me, ladies and gentlemen, for I shall show you the way there."

"Panpour, panpour," Panpour said, saluting to the group loyally.

Turner led the astonished group towards a set of elevators. During the walk, Serena stared at her mother incredulously.

"The _penthouse_?" the Performer asked.

"Well, your Uncle Dawson was WAY too generous with his donation, honey," Grace replied, sweat-dropping after recalling the amount of money she received from him.

"Fletchling..." Fletchling chirped in a deadpan tone.

Once the entire group reached the nearest elevator, Turner pressed the summoning button before turning around to face the others.

"Sirs and madams," he said elegantly, "it is a true honor for us at Blue Suns to be your host for the week. If there is anything you need, anything at all, be sure to ask. If it interests you, I am particularly well-versed in all reserves of knowledge pertaining to Kiloude City, such as its layout, its history, and its most famous landmarks and people. As for my Panpour, its forte is water-based tricks. He's been on the job for thirty years and he has never failed to amaze anyone."

"Panpour!" greeted Panpour, saluting humbly.

"Oh, it's nice to meet you, Turner and Panpour!" Bonnie replied.

"Yeah, I do hope we all get to know each other better!" added Ash.

"Pika, pikachu!" Pikachu said.

As for Serena, she pulled out her Pokédex. "Panpour, huh?" she remarked in curiosity.

Once it scanned Panpour, her Pokédex said, _**"Panpour, the Spray Pokémon. The water stored within the tuft on its head is full of nutrients, and it can use its tail to water plants."**_

As soon as the Pokédex completed its entry, the doors to the elevator opened. Serena was prepared to step inside when she saw the person who had already been riding it: a smug-faced girl with sleek black hair and indigo eyes, who was wearing all-purple boutique clothing and accessories so flashy and first-class that one would think those hit the market a few minutes ago. Serena's eyes widened in surprise, while the girl took notice of her and stared daggers at her.

"A-Am-Amelia!" Serena exclaimed, her voice coming out as a high-pitched squeak.

" _You_..." Amelia growled nastily, her voice shaky and her frame trembling. At first, everyone thought she would throttle Serena then and there. But then, she stuck her chin up with a huff, and marched out of the elevator and into the lobby, followed by what appeared to be her stout, balding, sweating, unfortunate mess of an assistant.

"Oh, my," Grace said, her astounded gaze following Amelia. "Who was that, Serena?"

"Another Performer," the honey-blonde replied. "We met in Fleurrh City, during the Pokémon Showcase there. I...I won that Showcase..."

"Wow," Shauna remarked, as she too followed Amelia with her gaze. "Obviously she didn't take that loss well. It seems like you're gonna be having some unfriendly competition during the Exhibition Showcase, Serena."

However, Serena didn't hear her friendly rival. Instead, she continued to follow Amelia as the Fleurrh native continued to march off with a boiling temper that could rival a Camerupt. In fact, her poor assistant seemed to sense his superior's unbridled wrath, for he was sweating up a rainstorm while in close proximity. At that moment, Serena remembered that Amelia was not present at the Master Class Showcase in Gloire City.

 _"I guess she didn't get to win her third Princess Key in time..."_ Serena concluded in her mind.

_**"This is** _ **unacceptable** _**!** _ **Mine** _**was a much more polished Performance than hers was!"** _

_**"But I want to become a better Performer than Aria!"** _

Her eyes narrowed. _"I probably should watch out for her..."_

* * *

" _Unacceptable_! What is _she_ doing here?!"

"F-F-Forgive me, Amelia; I-I never anticipated her reserving a room here-"

Amelia glared at her assistant with an expression that could easily kill a Seviper. By this point, the two had exited the front lobby and were now outside the hotel.

"How did she, anyway?!" she snapped. "I could tell from the moment I first saw her that she was nothing more than a hillbilly from the boonies! There is simply _no way_ she had the money to afford a room here! Just like there was no way she had a better Performance than mine back at Fleurrh City!"

"D-D-D-Do you w-want that looked into?" the assistant stuttered, struggling to decipher something, _anything_ from his superior's rage-induced rant.

"No, I want her out on the street, away from MY HOTEL!"

"Now, now, my dear Amelia," a suave voice said. "That's no way to treat our customers."

Amelia turned around to see a man with wavy, neatly-combed green hair with golden streaks. He also had yellow eyes that glinted brightly, giving him a perpetually teary-eyed look, even though he was wearing a smile of undeniable confidence. He was also dressed in a sharp olive-green suit with a green-and-yellow-striped tie.

"U-Uncle!" Amelia exclaimed.

"S-S-Sir!" the assistant squeaked, but he was immediately silenced by the man's cold, hard stare.

"My darling," the man said. "Do you remember the business motto?"

"'Always serve those who want it and can afford it'," the Performer recited. "Bu-But you don't understand! The girl I'm talking about, she's the one who defeated me in the Fleurrh Showcase and-"

"And what? Your idea for retribution is to throw her out on the street? Reduce her to a poor, sobbing, begging mess? My dear, you are the heir to the family fortune, and to this hotel chain! Imagine what would happen to the family image if the press got a hold of your behavior right now?"

Amelia gritted her teeth, but she knew her uncle was right. It would be bad for business if the public realized she was having customers thrown out just because they beat her in something earlier. And yet, she couldn't stand the thought of her family business hosting the one who beat her in the Fleurrh Showcase despite having a sub-par Performance! She just couldn't! It was like rubbing salt in the wound!

Her uncle seemed to sense her thoughts, for he approached her and patted her shoulder. "There, there, darling," he said. "I understand your frustration. After all, it hurts to be put in second place despite your talents."

"It hurts _so much_ ," Amelia replied, his fists clenched and shaking. "I know I'm a better Performer than that hillbilly! And I _know_ that I'm fit to dethrone Aria and become Kalos Queen! I just know it! But those blind idiots just can't understand true talent even if it hit them in the faces!"

"That is _exactly_ right, Amelia! But you cannot express your anger that way! No, it would be unbecoming! Not to mention impractical and counterproductive."

Amelia looked up at her uncle with desperation. "Then what should I do, Uncle?! I can't let this hillbilly hog all the attention again! This is my last chance to show the world how talented I am!"

"Well, you definitely don't do something as drastic and open as throwing her out in the cold. No, you need to be more _subtle_..."

"Subtle?"

"Yes, dear." He started looking around, his eyes glinting more brightly than usual. "Look at it this way: your reputation would be ruined if you do something to her...but _imagine_ what you could do to _her reputation_..."

Amelia's eyes lit up in understanding. "I get it now! I could sabotage her, discredit her! I could leave her in ruin without having to attract attention to myself!" She looked up at her uncle with admiration. "Thank you so much, Uncle Adam!" She hugged him tightly, startling the man. "I knew I could count on you!"

"Anything for your, my darling. Anything for you." He then gently peeled Amelia off him. "Now, uh, run along and do whatever you have to do to win."

Amelia nodded happily and started walking off briskly, followed by her nervous assistant. However, before she could get a yard away, her uncle called out to her again.

"And remember, dear Amelia, it's our little secret!"

The girl nodded. "Of course, Uncle Adam!" she replied before running off.

Once she rounded a corner and got out of sight, Adam turned around and entered the hotel with a devious smirk on his face.

* * *

"Well, it's official. We died in that train and went to heaven."

Clemont was spinning around in her and Ash's hotel room, his expression one of complete awe and exuberance. Not that Ash blamed him for it. After all, their penthouse suite was just as well-decorated and spacious as the lobby, adorned with the same kind of decorations, not to mention the luxury beds, the massive TV set, and a bathroom could fit half a dozen people. Out of all the hotels he had been in during his Pokémon journey, Blue Suns had to be the best one yet.

"Your beds have the finest luxury mattresses and blankets the Kalos region has to offer," Turner explained proudly and elegantly, as the rest of the group looked around the room. "And the television set is ultra-high-definition and features hundreds of different channels. Local, regional, and inter-regional news stations. Cartoons. Movies. Sports. Soap-operas. You name it."

"Awesome!" Ash exclaimed.

"Pika!" added Pikachu.

"Awesome indeed," replied Turner. "Also, we offer room service, which has been granted five-star ratings for twenty years in a row now."

"Twenty years in a row? Man, that's a long time. That's, like..." The raven-haired Trainer started counting with his fingers. "Ten years-"

"Plus ten," Shauna completed in a deadpan tone.

"Y-You're right..."

Turner continued, "This room service includes food, which will be offered to you at your whim." He pointed to a small stack of tablets on one of the nightstands. "Those are your menus. Just read through them, select the food of your choice, call us at the number provided, and we will bring it to you within five minutes. Normally, you would pay us, but you do not need to worry about that because a week's worth has already been paid in advance."

"Wait a sec, so we have free food all week?!" Ash hollered, his eyes shining with a newfound glory.

"Pika?!" Pikachu exclaimed as well.

"All week, my dear Ash Ketchum. Any time, any day, _every day_."

"Pan-panpour," Panpour said, nodding its head.

Serena glared at Grace, and the jockey replied, "Sometimes I think your Uncle Dawson's _way_ too generous for his own good, honey..."

"Fletchling..." Fletchling chirped in a deadpan tone.

" **YEAH!** " Ash jumped into the air, a fist raised. "I'm gonna start ordering some food now!"

As the raven-haired Trainer rushed over to grab one of the tablets, Turner said, "I highly recommend you examine our Special Meal of the Day. We have a different special meal daily, and it is simply exquisite."

"Pan-panpour!" Panpour added in agreement.

"Will do!" Ash replied as he started scanning through the electronic tablet, which proudly boasted his menu. He already started to drool upon seeing the wide variety of dishes being offered to him.

"Ooh, ooh, I wanna order too!" Bonnie exclaimed excitedly. Drool was also practically hanging off the edge of her mouth.

"Nenene!" squeaked Dedenne with enthusiasm.

"Me too!" Calem cried, his eyes shining just as brightly as Ash's. "I wanna see how worthy of a five-star rating your food is!" The two grabbed electronic tablets of their own and started reading the contents of the menu.

"Wow," Shauna said, raising an eyebrow at the trio. "Those three sure have food on their minds a lot, do they?"

"Yep," replied Serena. She then looked between Ash and Calem and noticed their shared enthusiasm towards the menu. "I'm surprised that Ash and Calem have a lot more in common than I had earlier realized..."

"Is there anything else this place has to offer?" Tierno wondered aloud.

"Actually, there is," replied Turner. "The penthouse features a restaurant that you'll be getting your food from, along with a spa, a swimming pool, and a private play area reserved for Pokémon. Those are all outdoors."

Tierno blushed in awe and gazed at Serena. "Remind me to thank your Uncle Dawson, Serena..."

Serena merely giggled nervously in response.

"Well, then," Turner said, examining each Trainer in turn, "it seems my job is done for the moment. I shall make my leave."

He bowed humbly at the Trainers and left the room, leaving the entire group to themselves.

"Well, now that that's out of the way," Grace announced, "we have three rooms, everyone. This is Room 30025, and the other rooms are 30024 and 30026."

"I think I'll be going to 30026," Shauna replied. "I need to get all my stuff set up."

"I'll go with you," Trevor said.

"Ditto!" Tierno added.

The trio of Trainers proceeded to leave the room. However, once she got to the doorway, Shauna stopped for a moment to look at Calem before following her childhood friends.

"I guess that leaves us with Room 30024, honey," Moose said. "Come on, let's go check it out!"

"Oh, I hope their beds are well-suited for pregnant women..." replied Layla hopefully as she followed her husband outside. This officially left Serena, Ash, Clemont, Bonnie, Grace, and Calem alone with their Pokémon.

"At least we know our rooms are at the top of the hotel," Clemont remarked.

"You got that right," Bonnie replied as she continued to survey the menu. "I'm not gonna be able to remember all those numbers!"

"Dedenne!" Dedenne squeaked in agreement.

At that moment, Squishy flopped out of Bonnie's satchel and slithered over to the nearest windowsill, where it started gazing through the glass windowpanes. Calem eyed the mysterious green Pokémon with curiosity as it continued to lay immobile, watching the outside world.

"Hey, Bonnie," he said, "I never got to ask earlier, but what exactly _is_ that Pokémon that keeps hopping out of your bag? I don't think I've ever seen or heard of it before..."

"Oh, his name's Squishy!" the girl replied happily. "He's a brand-new species of Pokémon that we found on our way to Snowbelle City!"

"Huh... Isn't that so...?" Calem continued to eye Squishy with curiosity.

Unbeknownst to any of them, there was a hardened, serious expression on Squishy's face as it glared through the windowpanes. It had sensed something strange aboard the train, but it shrugged it off at first, thinking it was something minor. But it detected that sensation again a few seconds ago, and this time, it was stronger.

Something was happening out there... Something _unnatural_...

* * *

**Kiloude Forest**

Pokémon Ranger Summer dashed through the forest as fast as she could, hopping over fallen tree trunks and ducking through low-hanging branches with ease. Half of her focus was on the trail ahead, while the other half was on the device given to her by her colleague; this device was beeping faster and faster with every step she took. She had to be getting close, she just knew it, but the female Ranger didn't know how much time she had left before-

"WHOA!" she cried upon seeing the danger straight ahead.

She stopped so suddenly that her body nearly fell over. Fortunately, Summer managed to maintain her footing in the nick of time before her body could fall over the side of a cliff, which was overlooking more of the forest. Once she was sure she wouldn't fall over, she heaved out a sigh of relief and wiped the sweat from her brow.

"Whew! That was close... A little _too_ close..."

_**BANG!** _

"Huh?" Summer looked ahead and saw, just a couple of miles away, the quick and powerful shock-wave shred apart a small portion of the forest in a few split-seconds. " _Whoa_! So _that's_ what's been happening around here!" She promptly procured a Holo Caster and activated it; the 3D hologram of a bearded, dashing-looking man appeared on its surface. "This is Ranger Summer reporting to home-base!"

 _ **"This is Rand,"**_ the man replied.

Summer suddenly sweat-dropped. "I _know_ , Rand; I can see your face from just a few inches away. You know we _both_ have Holo Casters. That's the point of these things."

_**"Oh, sorry! You know, these are** _ **way _more complicated than my daughter's inventions-"_**

**_"I_ heard _that!"_** another voice called sarcastically.

**_"_ Anyway _, did you find the source of those noises that people here have been reporting?"_**

"Yes," Summer replied, nodding. "But it's not some illegal construction site, or part of a Pokémon poaching operation. In fact, I don't even know _how_ to describe it. The best I can say is that it's an explosion of air."

_**"An explosion of air, you say?"** _

"Yes. It's powerful enough to level everything in close proximity."

_**"Huh... That sounds like Nema's area of expertise. I think. Okay, report back to home-base. We will get to the bottom of this."** _

"But Rand, what about all of the wild Pokémon? Who knows how many out there are badly injured, or worse?"

_**"You said it yourself: these so-called explosions are powerful to rip an entire forest apart. Who knows where those things will hit next? Probably on the very spot you're standing on!"** _

"Yeah, that doesn't sound fun to be in..." Summer sighed reluctantly, her mind still on all of the ailing Pokémon that were most likely out there. "Copy that, Rand. Summer out."

She deactivated the Holo Caster and, after taking one last look at the destruction, quickly ran back the way from which she came from.

* * *

**The Blue Suns Deluxe Hotel**

Serena, Ash, Pikachu, Clemont, Bonnie, and the others stepped out onto the fenced rooftop and saw the restaurant that Turner mentioned to them. Once again, they all marveled at the sight of it. There were dozens of polished circular tables, with formal tablecloths and luxury chairs. The customers were being served by waiters and waitresses that were just as polite and elegant as Turner. The entire room was bathed in a golden glow that was coming from the first-class chandeliers above. And finally, the food that they could see was purely exquisite.

"I wanna live here," Trevor said.

"Hey!" Ash exclaimed, pointing towards a certain direction. "There's that play area Turner was talking about!"

Serena and the others saw it as well, and it was just as marvelous as the neighboring restaurant. Of course, the space was more limited because of the expanse of the restaurant, but there were still a couple of large, elaborate playgrounds, a small training area, and last but not least, a battlefield that Trainers could use. In fact, it was being used right now!

"Wow, that looks so cool and fun!" Bonnie cried as all of the Trainers ran over towards that area.

"Nenene!" squeaked Dedenne.

"'Kay, let's use it!" Ash said as he pulled out his five Poké Balls. "Everyone, come on out!"

He threw the devices into the air, which summoned Greninja, Talonflame, Hawlucha, Goodra, and Noivern. They all croaked, squawked, or cawed in greeting.

"Great, I'll send my Pokémon too!" Serena cried. She threw her own Poké Balls, summoning Braixen, Pancham, and Sylveon.

"Me too!" Clemont added as he called out Bunnelby, Chespin, and Luxray.

"Don't forget us!" Shauna, Tierno, and Trevor exclaimed at once. Shauna summoned her Ivysaur, Orange Flower Floette, Swirlix, and Gothita; Tierno unleashed his Blastoise, Ludicolo, Hitmontop, Politoed, and Raichu; and Trevor called out his Charmeleon, Aerodactyl, White Flower Florges, Scyther, and Gabite.

"Well, since everyone's doing it, I might as well do it too!" Calem said, pretending to be nonchalant as he threw his own Poké Balls, which summoned Empoleon, Gallade, Scizor, Ferrothorn, Swellow, and Alolan Golem.

Grace's Fletchling chirped in greeting, flew off its owner's shoulder, and started circling above the heads of the other Pokémon as a greeting. Several of the Pokémon, led by Pikachu and Dedenne, then began to play on the playgrounds and mingle with other Pokémon already using them. As for the others, such as Greninja and Luxray, they stood by and watched while socializing with each other. Squishy, as always, completely distanced itself from the others and appeared to be sunbathing again, even though it was strangely staring off at a random direction.

As for Ash, he glanced at the direction of the restaurant's kitchen, where he could see the well-dressed chefs and cooks making their food. His eyes went wide and started gleaming with excitement.

"Alright, it's time to get my food!" he exclaimed, running off towards the kitchen immediately after.

"Wait for me!" Bonnie called. The little girl ran after Ash, with Calem close behind her. "I want some food too!"

"Dedenne!" chirped Dedenne with anticipation.

"Bonnie!" Clemont cried in exasperation. The aspiring inventor ran after the trio as well; his forehead already started sweating. "Don't tell me you're only buying sweets from them! It's not healthy, you know!"

Meanwhile, Shauna, Tierno, and Trevor joined the Pokémon on the playground, while Layla and Moose excused themselves to find a table. This left Serena alone with her mother.

"This..." Serena said as she observed all of her friends as they had fun. "This is so amazing, Mom. All of it." She looked at Grace. "You didn't have to do all of this, you know. The party back at home was enough."

Grace nodded. "I know," she replied. "But honey...you really _do_ deserve this."

"No, I don't!"

"Yes, you do, Serena! You have no idea how proud I am! How proud the whole _family_ is! All this time, you've never fit in anywhere, and you've never managed to find anything that truly made you happy. I tried fixing that by teaching you Rhyhorn Racing." Grace scoffed. "Obviously that didn't go over very well." The former jockey then glanced towards Braixen, who was breaking up a fight between Pancham and Chespin. "But you've grown ever since you got your first Pokémon and started journeying with Ash, Clemont, and Bonnie."

Serena smiled gently, fondly reminiscing of all the adventures she had with her friends. "Yeah. I had a really fun time with them. I still do."

"And it shows." Grace looked back at her honey-blonde daughter. "Look at you, honey! I can barely recognize you anymore! You...You've become someone way beyond my level."

Serena snorted. "No way."

"Uh, yes way! Serena, it's always a parent's duty to make sure their child surpasses them. And you may not believe it right now, but I truly think you've become someone _I_ wish I could surpass."

Suddenly, a voice within earshot said, "Hey, wait a minute... Is that who I think it is?"

"I think it is, Concetta!" another voice replied. "Hey! Girl with the cycling cap!"

Serena and Grace looked to their right and saw two girls approaching them. One had light-green hair styled into a side-bun with a bow that vaguely resembled a Glaceon's tail; she was wearing a loose-fitting purple shirt, blue jeans, and stylish blue sunglasses. The other had crystal-blue eyes and chin-length, brownish-orange hair; she was wearing a modest pinkish-red polo shirt, turquoise jean shorts, and a red headband. Accompanying the green-haired girl was a Glaceon, while a Scraggy tagged beside the orange-haired girl.

"M- _Me_?" Serena asked, pointing to herself.

"Yes, you!" replied the green-haired girl. She lowered her sunglasses to examine Serena's style of clothing. "The change of clothes fooled me at first, but now there's no doubt in my mind."

"You're Serena, aren't you?!" the orange-haired girl asked enthusiastically.

"Uhhhhh...yes, yes, that's me... Why are you asking...?"

The second girl took Serena's hands and stared deeply, and with awe, into her eyes. The honey-blonde Performer could see sparkles in the girl's crystal-blue pupils.

"You're the Performer who faced off against Aria in the Master Class Showcase!" the girl cried. "You were so awesome!"

Serena's eyes widened. "R-R- _Really_?!" At the corner of her eye, she could see Grace winking and walking away.

The girl nodded vigorously. "Uh-huh! And I saw your PokéVision video too! You're just so magnificent and amazing and elegant and-"

"Oh, relax Concetta," the green-haired girl said flatly, giving her companion a soft slap to the top of the head. "You're overwhelming her." She then smiled at Serena while the other girl, Concetta, rubbed her head sheepishly. "I apologize about my friend. She goes a little cuckoo when she meets celebrities." She removed her sunglasses (revealing her yellowish-green eyes in the process) and placed them on the top of her head. "My name's Sara Lee. It's nice to meet you."

"Sara Lee...?" Serena repeated. Then, her mind clicked into place. "You were in my group during the first round of the Master Class!"

Sara Lee winked in response. "That's me. It was a good Performance, if you ask me."

"It was better than good!" Concetta suddenly shouted. "It was _great_! OW!"

Sara Lee rubbed the palm of her hand. " _Relax_ , Concetta."

In the meantime, Serena was starting to smile. "Thanks for all the compliments, you two. I'm so glad you really liked my Performances." Her smile then faltered, and she sighed. "Although I was hoping it'd be enough for me to beat Aria in the finals..."

"Well, to be perfectly honest, it was a lost cause, no matter how good you were. No one's beaten Aria in years. I was a participant in the last two Showcase seasons and the same results applied. The runner-ups were pretty good, but not enough to outdo Aria in the end. At this point, it's a competition to see who is second-best to Aria."

"It's that kind of negative thinking that jinxed Serena's chances at winning, Sara Lee!" Concetta snapped defiantly. She pouted in a way that reminded Serena of Bonnie whenever she was upset, which turned out to be more adorable than anything else.

Sara Lee shrugged. "Well, what can I say, Concetta? Aria's the longest-serving Kalos Queen in Showcase history. That much is true."

Serena blinked in surprise. "Wait, Aria's the longest-serving Kalos Queen ever?" she asked.

"What, you didn't know that?"

"Well, to be honest, you guys, this was my first Showcase season. I don't know much outside of the actual competition."

Sara Lee's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "You're a _newbie_?" When Serena nodded in affirmation, she remarked in awe, " _Wow_. It takes _many_ Showcase seasons for a Performer to make it to the final stage of the Master Class competition. Some Performers have even gotten too old for Showcases before they could have a chance. To know that you made it _that far_ in the Master Class Showcase _on your first try_... That's gotta take a lot of talent and hard work." Sara Lee's eyes glinted with curiosity. "May I see your Pokémon, please?"

"Y-Ye-Yeah, s-sure!" Serena stuttered, still surprised and embarrassed that she was receiving this much attention from her fellow Performers. "Braixen, Pancham, Sylveon! Come over here, please!"

Her Pokémon obeyed her command and left the playgrounds to join her sides. As soon as they did, Sylveon saw Sara Lee's Glaceon and gave it a friendly greeting, which the Fresh Snow Pokémon responded to warmly. As for Concetta's Scraggy, it immediately started sizing up Pancham, with the Playful Pokémon scowling at it.

Sara Lee proceeded to examine Braixen, Pancham, and Sylveon in turn. Braixen and Sylveon smiled kindly at the green-haired Performer, while Pancham proudly did a pose. Once she was done, Sara Lee started rubbing her chin, her brow furrowed in unadulterated seriousness.

"Funny," she said. "There seem to be no problems with your Pokémon whatsoever. There's no obvious height or weight differences, so they're in perfect health and well-fed. They're well-groomed, so well-groomed in fact that they look like the works of a Pokémon Stylist like Barry. Obviously they respond to your commands excellently. And then there's the perfectly synchronized coordination you displayed during your Performances, so you all train hard..."

"Wow," Serena replied in astonishment. "You can tell all of that just by _looking_ at my Pokémon?"

"Sara Lee's really good at that kind of stuff," responded Concetta, smiling proudly.

"Hmmmmm... Your Pokémon are all in tiptop shape and your Performances are so well-rehearsed..." Sara Lee continued to rub her chin in curiosity as she mulled over her findings. "Your level of care and preparedness actually matches Aria's level. There's no way you could've lost to her back then. What in the world is it that could've held you back...?"

"Hey, Serena!" a voice called.

Ash and Bonnie approached their honey-blonde friend, each carrying an assortment of food and drinks that all looked very pleasing to the eye. Serena noticed that their mouths were already full, while their lips were coated to the brim with bits of various foods.

"We've got our food!" Ash exclaimed, additional bits of food flying out of his mouth; he looked like a totally unpleasant slob. "Let's go scarf!"

"Yeah!" added Bonnie. "You can share my sweets if you'd like!" Then, the young girl noticed Sara Lee and Concetta for the first time. "Who are these two?"

"Oh, these are two other Performers who were in the Gloire Master Class competition!" replied Serena. "Sara Lee, Concetta, these are some of my friends! This is Ash and that's Bonnie!"

Bonnie smiled up at the two Performers and waved at them. "Hi!"

"H-Hey..." Sara Lee replied, her expression suddenly turning into one of hesitation as she examined both her and Ash.

But Concetta was more positive. "Hi, there!" she said before her eyes settled on Bonnie's large cup of sundae ice cream. "WOW! Is that the Blue Suns Deluxe Sundae I've heard about?!"

"Yes, that's it!" replied Bonnie. She took a gulp of her food right before she taking a spoonful of the ice cream and greedily eating it. "Want some?"

"Oh, I sure d-"

Concetta was suddenly cut off when Sara Lee latched her hand around her acquaintance's shoulder.

"Don't worry, Concetta," the green-haired Performer said darkly. "I'll buy you some. Come on, let's go."

"I'll come with you two," Serena said. "I'd _like_ to talk more about Aria and Showcases-"

"That won't be necessary," Sara Lee interrupted, shooting the honey-blonde a harsh look. "You know, I think I now know what's holding you back, Serena."

"You do? What is it, Sara Lee?"

The green-haired girl cast her glare towards Ash, who was sloppily, obliviously eating a thick chocolate bar without a care in the world.

"You should know."

The honey-blonde followed Sara Lee's gaze and realized what she was talking. She shot back an infuriated glare and replied, "Hey, Ash happens to be my greatest fr-fr-friend, and believe it or not, he's also a _huge_ source of inspiration for me! I owe everything to him! And you think _he's_ the problem with my performances?!"

"And _you_ consider him a source of inspiration for you?" Sara Lee asked haughtily. "Yeah, I can see where your biggest flaw lies at. Serena, the world of Pokémon Showcases requires uncompromising beauty, talent, and perfection in all aspects of life, no matter if you're on or off the stage. That's why Aria's been so flawless as Kalos Queen in the first place. If you cannot realize that, Serena, then I'm afraid that's all you'll ever be in comparison to Aria: second-best."

Serena's eyes narrowed, as did Ash's and Bonnie's when they caught on to Sara Lee's antagonism.

"You're wrong, Sara Lee!" Serena replied. "Showcases aren't just about beauty, talent, and perfection! They're also about having fun with your Pokémon!"

Braixen, Pancham, and Sylveon all made noises of defiant agreement. However, Sara Lee narrowed her eyes at the honey-blonde.

"So _that's_ what you view Showcases as? A way to have _fun_? HA! Serena, it's that kind of casual behavior that brings about the downfall of someone so promising in any competition. Trust me, think over your Showcases career, and you'll see that I'm right. In the meantime, I'm not gonna associate myself with someone with such a casual outlook on life, who believes uncultured people are bearable enough to hang out with."

"Hey, that's a very, very, VERY rude thing to say!" Bonnie snapped, pointing at Sara Lee accusingly. "And you call yourself a Pokémon Performer?! You're just a meanie!"

Sara Lee merely scowled, stuck her chin out, and marched away from the group, followed by Glaceon. Concetta looked from her friends to Serena and back with a look of ambivalence and reluctance, before ultimately choosing to follow her green-haired friend, with Scraggy by her side. Serena, Ash, Bonnie, Braixen, Pancham, and Sylveon all stared after them angrily and incredulously.

"I don't believe it!" Serena exclaimed in outrage. "She...She actually had the _nerve_ to say that to me! And just when I thought she was a nice girl!"

"How come all the mean Performers are here?!" asked Bonnie, her cheeks puffed out. "I guess this hotel isn't as perfect as we thought!"

"I guess tensions are pretty high, even if it's an Exhibition Showcase," Ash replied. He then patted Serena's shoulder consolingly. "Just ignore her, Serena. Let's go have lunch with all the others. They're at the table."

"Okay..." The honey-blonde teenage girl took a deep breath. "Okay. Let's go eat." Then, she realized, for the first time, that someone was missing. "Wait a minute, where's Clemont? I thought he was following you two and Calem while you were all getting your food?"

"Oh, he was?" Ash looked around. "Huh. I never really noticed him."

"Yeah, I never noticed him either," added Bonnie. She then looked around in search of her older brother. "In fact...I don't see him anywhere. Heeeeey, Clemont?! Where are you?!"

* * *

"Guys? Hey, _guys_?"

Unbeknownst to everyone else, Clemont had gotten lost in the crowd of patrons earlier while trying to track Ash, Bonnie, and Calem, and subsequently wandered into an entirely different part of the hotel. Now that he had lost track of his own location, the aspiring inventor was attempting to navigate his way through the maze of hallways and hotel rooms, hoping to get back to the restaurant.

"Oh, great," Clemont moaned, hanging his head low in exasperation. "This is _just_ great! How in the world did I get lost here?! How convenient!"

All of a sudden, he spotted a man standing near the elevators. This man had a muscular build; sharp, beady eyes; and blond hair cut in a buzz-cut. He was also wearing military-style clothing consisting of a tight-fitting, white tank-top; a light, jungle-camouflage jacket; jungle-camouflage pants with a thick brown belt; dark-brown combat boots; and dark sunglasses that were on top of his head at the moment. Clemont couldn't help but wonder why this man was in the hotel dressed like that, but nevertheless, he approached him, hoping to get directions back to the restaurant.

"E-Excuse me, sir?" the inventor called, catching the man's attention.

"Yes?" the man replied gruffly.

"Uhhhhh..." Clemont paused for a moment, suddenly intimidated by the hard, razor-sharp stare the man gave him. "Wh-Wh-Where's the r-restaurant...?"

"What in the world are you talking about? Did you get lost here?"

"Y-Yeah, pretty much... S-See, I was trying to find my sister and our friend a-and-"

"Get lost, kid," the man interrupted harshly, looking away. "I don't know the way around here myself, so don't even bother asking me."

At that moment, there was a dinging noise, and the doors to the nearest elevator slid open. The man marched inside and allowed the doors to shut themselves, leaving behind a frightened, miserable-looking Clemont.

"T-T-Th-Th-Tha- _Thanks_..." he stuttered, his voice quaking severely.

It was silent in the hallway for a brief moment, and Clemont didn't budge an inch. He had been frozen on the spot by his embarrassing interaction with the strangely-dressed man. Finally, he was pulled out of his stupor by another unfamiliar voice calling out to him.

"Are you lost here?!"

Clemont looked across his shoulder and saw a blue-haired, blue-eyed girl around his age, who was standing a few feet down the hallway. She was wearing a light-blue, polka-dotted, ruffled tank-top; a flared blue skirt with a single white stripe at the border; brown sport sneakers; and red, square glasses. Clemont also noticed that she had a fresh bandage on her right cheek, but he quickly ignored it.

"Yes!" he replied. "I got lost and am trying to find my way back to the restaurant!"

The girl blinked. "You got lost..." she said, "and you're trying to find your way back to the _restaurant_?"

"Well...yeah, that's right."

"Why don't you just go back the way you came?"

Clemont blushed deeply in embarrassment. "Well...the thing is...I was kinda busy admiring what the hotel had to offer, and...I guess I just...got distracted..." The inventor started chuckling nervously.

"Oh, I see." The girl giggled, and Clemont's blush deepened even more at the sight. "Don't worry, I get so overwhelmed by this hotel too. Is this your first time staying here?"

"Yes, that's right."

"Oh, whaddaya know? Mine too!"

Clemont's eyes widened in surprise. "Really?"

"Yep! I've been here for four days. And it's been quite a four days!"

"Oh." Clemont scratched his cheek sheepishly. "I literally just got here."

"So you got lost here on your first day? Don't worry; I can relate to that. I wound up on the wrong floor on my first day, and I got lost while getting back to the elevators." She giggled again. "It's a very awesome hotel Kiloude City's got here. You know, I can guide you back to the restaurant if you want."

"You _will_?!" The inventor's eyes started to shine with amazement. "I'd appreciate it!"

The girl clapped her hands together in delight. "Awesome! Follow me, if you'd please!"

She started walking down the direction from which she came, and Clemont quickly joined her side.

"So what brings you to Kiloude City?" the inventor asked. Then, his eyes lit up again. "Oh, don't tell me, you're a Performer too, aren't you?"

"Huh?" The girl looked at him with a puzzled look. "What's a Performer?"

"Well...I guess that answers my question..."

"I'm actually here on vacation," the girl responded. "I'm accompanying my father, who's a, uh, um...government official doing some business."

"Oh, really? Where are you from?"

"The Oblivia region."

"The Oblivia region?" repeated Clemont. "I've never heard of it..."

"It's an archipelago located south of the Almia and Fiore regions."

Clemont's eyes lit up once again, this time with understanding. "Ohhh, Almia's located on the southern tip of the same continent as Sinnoh! So your region's located south of that?"

"Yep, that's us!" The girl puffed out her chest a little with pride.

"Huh..." Clemont scratched the top of his head before realizing something else. "Oh, I never caught your name, by the way. My name's Clemont."

The girl smiled sweetly at him. "And mine's Nema. Nice to meet you, Clemont!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So here we meet a few characters from "Pokémon Ranger: Guardian Signs", and we also get to know a bit about the luxury hotel our heroes are staying at! Not to mention we see Amelia at the hotel, plus we meet two minor characters from the Showcase arc. Yes, by the way, Sara Lee and Concetta ARE actual Performers that we see in several Showcase-related episodes, in case any of you didn't know. They're mere background characters in the anime, but I'm a huge fan of bringing even background characters into the shining spotlight in my fics, so we definitely haven't seen the last of those two!
> 
> Also, Adam Glazing is a character from another AmourShipping fic of mine at FanFiction.Net, called "Separation". He was the main antagonist there, who developed a grudge against Serena that was borderline-obsessive. He was also going to be a supporting antagonist in the planned sequel to "Separation", but that fic turned out to be a bust. When I decided to rewrite "The Way We Will Be", I had huge considerations of rebooting the character and reusing him here, and I eventually decided to go for it. So yes, this Adam Glazing is an altered character (and Amelia's uncle, no less), but he'll be just as villainous as you could see from his scene. His lackeys, Floyd, Lloyd, and Nick, will also be in the story as well.
> 
> Well, hope you enjoyed this chapter! TheCartoonFanatic01 is out. PEACE!


	5. Gifts and Crises

_**"Good morning, citizens of Kalos! Today, we cover the top headline of the year: Kiloude City's Exhibition Showcase, which is scheduled to begin in three days!** _

**_"For those of you who do not know, an Exhibition Showcase is an informal Pokémon Showcase that is held at random times in many different cities located all across the region. Like a regular Showcase, there is a Theme Performance and a Freestyle Performance. However, unlike a regular Showcase, there is no Princess Key as a prize, no voting with a Glow Caster, no Master Class to win. It's all just show for the audience!_ **

**_"And marking the end of the Exhibition Showcase will be a final, massive performance featuring all of the participants, plus our beloved Kalos Queen Aria! Afterwards, there will be an outdoor dance party scheduled for midnight, to be attended by the Performers and partners of their choice!_ **

**_"Because of its informality and overall relaxed nature, Exhibition Showcases attract Pokémon Performers from every nook and cranny of the region for an opportunity to test the effectiveness of their performing abilities and relationships with their Pokémon! And this season's Performers deserve it, for this particular Exhibition Showcase is set at the end of said season._ **

_**"Of course,** _ _**this particular Exhibition Showcase has already cemented itself as a defining moment in Pokémon Showcase history. After all, this is the first time in ten years the beautiful and exquisite Kiloude City has hosted a Showcase of any kind, following the tragic passing of revered idol Elle, a horrible event that put a huge dent in Pokémon Showcases for years. And let us just have a moment of silence in honor of her memory...** _ _**Naturally, this has resulted in a very significant boost of tourism in Kiloude City! Dozens of local businesses are reporting record-breaking sales like no other!** _

_**"Indeed, this Exhibition Showcase is going to be a talked-about event in the weeks to come.** _ _**We will continue to provide live coverage of the event as it happens, so stay tuned!** _

_**"Now, in other news, reports of strange loud noises in Kiloude Forest continue coming in..."** _

* * *

**The Blue Suns Deluxe Hotel**

Serena, Ash, and Bonnie approached the table Grace, Fletchling, Shauna, Tierno, Trevor, Calem, Layla, and Moose were seated at. Unfortunately for them, they didn't see Clemont sitting with them anywhere.

"Hey, do any of you know where Clemont is?" Ash asked.

"I thought he was with you guys," Shauna replied.

"Apparently not."

Bonnie sighed sadly and shrugged. "He's probably lost somewhere," she remarked. "He doesn't have a good sense of direction when he's all by himself."

"We should go find him!" exclaimed Ash. "He's gonna miss out on this awesome lunch!"

"Uhhh...thanks for the concern, Ash," a familiar voice said, "but that really won't be necessary..."

Everyone turned and saw Clemont approaching their table, accompanied by an unfamiliar-looking girl with blue hair and eyes, who was wearing mostly all-blue clothing and red, square glasses. Bonnie puffed her cheeks out in annoyance upon spotting her older brother.

"Clemont, where _were_ you?!" she snapped childishly.

"I got lost looking for you!" the inventor replied defiantly.

"In the penthouse floor of the hotel...?" deadpanned Trevor, his eyebrow raised with curiosity.

"It's a very big penthouse floor, let me tell you!" Then, Clemont smiled and gestured to the girl beside him. "But I was lucky enough to come across her. She helped me find my way back here."

"Hi, my name's Nema!" the girl said cheerfully. "You all must be Clemont's family!"

"Oh no, not really," Ash replied. "We're all just good friends of his. Anyway, it's nice to meet you, Nema. My name is Ash, and this is my-" He gestured to his shoulder, only to suddenly remember that it was empty; Pikachu was still playing with the others on the playgrounds. "Oh, well...my partner Pikachu is over there playing..."

"My name's Serena," said Serena.

"And I'm Bonnie!" Bonnie exclaimed, her smile wide and innocent. "Clemont's my big brother!"

"I'm Shauna," Shauna said, smiling kindly.

"The name's Tierno," Tierno said, proudly jabbing a thumb at his own chest. "It's pretty awesome to meet you, Nema!"

"And I'm Trevor," said Trevor, waving lightly at Nema.

"It's so nice to meet you all!" replied Nema, smiling at everyone. "But as much as I'd like to stay and chat, I'm afraid I can't. I've gotta get back to my room! My dad's, uh, expecting me."

"Oh yeah, that's right!" Clemont exclaimed in surprise. "I'm sorry you had to waste a couple minutes of your time just so you could help me find my way back to the restaurant."

"Aw, no worries! I'm glad I could be of help!" The blue-haired girl then looked at Clemont. "So, how long are you gonna be staying here?"

"About, uhhhhh..." Realizing he didn't have a clue on that, the inventor looked at Serena, mentally begging her to answer for him. Fortunately, the honey-blonde Performer got the message.

"For four days," she said. "I'm actually a Pokémon Performer participating in the Exhibition Showcase here."

Nema blinked and tilted her head slightly in confusion, prompting Clemont to say for her, "She's not from around here, Serena."

"Oh. I see."

"Well, anyway," Nema said, refocusing her attention on Clemont, "if you ever get lost again, Clemont-" Clemont blushed with embarrassment at that remark. "-just give me a shout-out. I'm in Room 30052. Alright, see ya!"

The girl left with a friendly wave, leaving behind a red-faced Clemont. Bonnie smirked teasingly at her older brother's misfortune.

"Well, let's just hope you don't get lost on your way to that room," the little girl said.

Clemont, unable to handle the embarrassment and humiliation of his recently-resolved situation anymore, exclaimed in a voice loud enough to attract the attention of other patrons, "A-Al-Alright, l-let's-let's eat!"

He quickly sat down on an available seat at the table, and was promptly joined by Ash, Serena, and Bonnie. As the entire group started eating their food, Clemont noticed for the first time the sweets Bonnie ordered.

"BONNIE, I TOLD YOU NOT TO ORDER SWEETS! IT'S NOT HEALTHY, YOU KNOW!"

As the siblings started to argue about the need to consume sweets during lunchtime, and the others continued to enjoy their own food, Serena noticed a nearby television set. It was at the corner of the restaurant, though it was in clear view for all of the patrons to see. However, barely anyone else was interested at the moment.

_**"And here's a recap of my one-on-one interview with Kalos Queen Aria."** _

Serena immediately saw the redheaded, beautiful Kalos Queen, sitting on a chair and with a microphone close to her face. Her Delphox and Aromatisse were standing on either side of her, while her Meadow Pattern Vivillon was perched on the head of the chair.

 _ **"So, Aria,"**_ the reporter said, _**"how does it feel knowing you are returning to your hometown after so many years? I'm sure you must be feeling a whole lot of joy and nostalgia from this."**_

Aria smiled serenely as always, nodded, and replied cheerfully, **_"Of course! I made a promise to myself to return home once in a while, but I guess I've become more and more preoccupied in recent years. All the new challengers to battle, all the new events to go to, all the smiles to give, it's just been so extraordinarily busy for me!_** _ **But with the season over and a huge clearing now in my schedule, it brings me**_ _ **great happiness to know I'm going back home to Kiloude City.**_ ** _"_** She then directed her smile at the camera. _**"Kiloude City, whose citizens are always kind, sweet, exquisite, and keep on shining!"**_

* * *

**A few hours later**

It was now in the middle of the night, and everyone was in their respective rooms. In Serena's room, everyone was sleeping except for her. Instead, she was standing out on the room's balcony, wearing her pink pajamas, watching the nighttime sky with her Braixen, Pancham, and Sylveon. Ahead of her were the rooftops of Kiloude City, illuminated beautifully by the golden lights of the streets and walkways. The honey-blonde lifted a lock of hair away from her face when it was blown into her eye by a soft, cool breeze.

"To think we've all come this far together..." she said softly. "Sometimes I still can't believe it..."

"Brai-brai," Braixen barked encouragingly.

"Pancham, pan-cham!" added Pancham, the Playful Pokémon smiling.

"Sylveon!" Sylveon chimed in.

Serena looked at all three of her Pokémon and smiled sweetly. "But it's not some dream," she said. "We're here, in this very moment, where we were so close to winning the Master Class Showcase, where we have the appreciation and blessing of my mom." She chuckled. "You know, I really thought she'd disapprove of me being a Pokémon Performer, that she'd try and forcibly drag me back home so I could continue practicing my Rhyhorn riding skills. I'm so glad that wasn't the case."

The honey-blonde Performer's smile widened as she looked at each of her Pokémon in turn. "And I'm so glad I have each and every one of you to share this dream with. It doesn't matter if we didn't win the Master Class; I'm still very proud of you all. And I thank you all for being yourselves. Don't forget that."

Braixen, Pancham, and Sylveon all cried out happily in response. As they did, Serena's gaze hardened, as she suddenly remembered Sara Lee's words back at the restaurant.

**_"Serena, the world of Pokémon Showcases requires uncompromising beauty, talent, and perfection in all aspects of life, no matter if you're on or off the stage. That's why Aria's been so flawless as Kalos Queen in the first place. If you cannot realize that, Serena, then I'm afraid that's all you'll ever be in comparison to Aria: second-best."_ **

"She doesn't understand the true meaning of Pokémon Showcases," she said bitterly, catching the attention of her Pokémon again. "Sure, I wanted to win against Aria. I wanted to become Kalos Queen. I was hoping all of that could happen the moment I stepped into that Showcase Theater. But just because I didn't win doesn't mean I don't know what being a Performer meant. I _know_ what being a Performer means, what a Kalos Queen is. Sara Lee's just so concerned with winning that she's become blinded from the true meaning of Pokémon Showcases. She has no right to tell me where and why I'm wrong."

"That's the spirit!" a voice said.

Serena yelped in surprise and turned around, but was relieved to see Ash standing at the doorway to the balcony.

"A-Ash!" she stuttered loudly.

"Oh, sorry!" the raven-haired Trainer replied. "I didn't mean to startle you, Serena."

"N-No, i-it's okay!" Serena blushed and looked away a little. "You heard what I said, didn't you...?"

"Every last word." Ash took a couple of steps onto the balcony, as Braixen, Pancham, and Sylveon stealthily sneaked back into the hotel room, hoping to give the two Trainers some well-deserved privacy. "I'm very glad you're looking at this whole thing positively. You know, the Pokémon Showcases."

"Well, it's just like what you said back at Gloire City! Even if I was destined to fail, I'd rather pursue my goal anyway so it wouldn't be a waste of time." Serena looked over the balcony and towards the golden rooftops of Kiloude; it was a really stunning sight. "And besides, this was everything I wanted, warts and all."

She then looked back at Ash, and was startled to realize he was now looking at her with intense fondness. Serena's eyes widened at the amount of emotion radiating from Ash's face. This just felt so unlike him!

"You know, Serena," the raven-haired Trainer said, "I'm glad you came from a nice place like Vaniville Town."

Serena's eyes widened even more. "You...You _are_?!" she replied, befuddled by such a confession.

"Yeah!" He gave her that optimistic, charming, toothy grin of his. "Who knows what you would've turned out to be like if you grew up in Lumiose City or Anistar City, for example? You'd be a whole different person!"

"Well..." The Performer bashfully looked away, while lifting her finger and using it to play with a lock of her hair. "Probably not all that different, Ash..."

"One little difference is still a difference, Serena!"

"I-I guess..."

"But fortunately, you're not from Lumiose or Anistar or anywhere else. You're from Vaniville, a very humble place, and for that, I'm glad to say I wouldn't have it any other way."

"I guess that's why you wanted to see Vaniville so badly." Serena smiled a little in understanding. "You wanted to know the place I grew up in, so you could have an understanding on why I am who I am."

"Well..." Ash scratched his right cheek. "That's kinda what I've been saying all along, but I guess you could put it that way."

Serena's smile widened slightly. "Nevertheless, I'm really glad you wanted to know, Ash..." she whispered, more to herself than to her crush.

The two silently stood there for a few moments, as the soft, cool breeze continued to blow. Then, to Serena's surprise, Ash suddenly joined her side and looked over the balcony, observing the rooftops of Kiloude.

"Man, this is such a beautiful sight, isn't it?" the raven-haired Trainer said.

"I-It sure is..." Serena stuttered in response.

But she was not concerned about the dazzling sight below; she was more preoccupied with the fact that her crush was now alone and in close proximity to her, during what could be one of the most intimate moments they had ever since the start of her journey. Nevertheless, the honey-blonde Performer managed to calm herself down and join Ash in observing Kiloude's golden rooftops and snaking walkways. They could both see Laurier Maison about a mile away, especially.

"So that must be the Showcase Theater," Ash said.

"Yep," Serena replied softly, as she subtly scooted closer to the raven-haired boy. "It has to be."

"It looks awesome."

"It sure does." The girl started to smile, and she continued, "You know, I heard it's not only a Showcase Theater, but also a retreat used by many celebrities from all over Kalos. And it's not just Kalos Queens who use it; famous actors and actresses like Diantha have been known to go there on vacation too."

"Wow, Diantha?!" Ash looked at her, his auburn eyes started to shine with awe at the fact. "I never knew that!" He looked back at the Laurier Maison. "I wonder if she's gonna be there?!"

"Probably, if she's gonna spectate the Exhibition Showcase, that is. But who knows?" Serena's smile widened with optimism. "This Exhibition Showcase sure is getting a whole lot of attention. I wouldn't be surprised if that were the case."

"Well, if Diantha's gonna be there, then I'm gonna try and battle her and Gardevoir with Greninja!" Ash grinned with excitement and anticipation as he made a fist of determination. "I wanna see how much we've improved since the last time we battled!"

"Well then, I'm confident that you're gonna beat her for sure, Ash." Serena made her own fist of determination, aiming it at Ash's direction. "You two sure have gotten stronger, especially ever since your battle with Wulfric."

"Well, I have you to thank for that, Serena." Ash rubbed the back of his head again. "After all, if it weren't for your pep-talk, I wouldn't have reunited with Greninja in the Winding Woods, and we wouldn't have tried to perfect your power."

"Oh, stop it, Ash!" Serena exclaimed sheepishly, though she was smiling happily at her crush's praise and thanks towards her. "Y-You're making me blush!"

Ash's smile widened slightly as he watched the swooning Serena, and he said kindly and sincerely, "You're gonna do great in the Exhibition Showcase, Serena. I just know it."

The honey-blonde's embarrassment faded, and she blinked in surprise. "You think? I mean, there's no Glow Caster voting or Princess Key to give out as a prize. All the Exhibition Showcase is about is having fun."

"That's exactly my point, Serena! You know how to make others smile!"

Once again, Serena blinked rapidly. "R-Re- _Really_?"

"Of course! You're a natural at that! And you're definitely gonna blow the audience away with all the fun you, Braixen, Pancham, and Sylveon will have! You're gonna outshine all the other Performers, for sure!"

"Well..." The girl's expression softened. "Maybe except Aria."

Once again, Serena was surprised by Ash when he suddenly grabbed her by the shoulders and stared deeply into her eyes again. The Performer wasn't sure what had gotten into her friend and crush, but she didn't dare to argue or protest when he started to speak again. After all, it wasn't as if his words were totally unwelcome.

"Hey, that's Sara Lee talking, not you," he said seriously, but also encouragingly. "Don't let her words affect you. As far as I'm concerned, Serena, you're the best Performer in the entire world, even better than Aria, in fact! I don't care if she beat you in the Master Class; I truly believe that you deserved the win. So believe me when I say you're gonna outshine all the other Performers, because I don't just believe it, I _know_ it as fact."

"Wow, Ash..." she replied in awe. "Th-Thanks... I never knew you thought that strongly about my performing abilities-"

Ash smiled confidently at her. "Well, of course! I'm your friend, after all! And friends support each other, no matter what!"

Upon hearing that, Serena inwardly grimaced at being referred to as a friend by Ash once again. However, unlike most times, she immediately chastised herself in her mind for that reaction afterwards. After all, she couldn't reasonably expect Ash to suddenly blurt out any romantic feelings for her. It never worked that way before, it definitely wouldn't work now, no matter how intimately close the two of them were right now. So, Serena smiled at her good friend and crush.

"Thank you, Ash," she said. "You're right. I'm gonna do great in the Exhibition Showcase."

"Hey, that's the spirit!"

Serena chuckled, while Ash took his hands off her shoulders. "You know, Ash, we sure do support each other quite well, like...the best of friends."

"It's just like I said! Friends support each other, no matter what."

At that moment, in spite of her earlier effort to accept being called a friend by Ash, Serena remembered her previous worries about Ash... Especially her concern about that Sinnohan girl named Dawn... She wanted to ask him then and there about his relationship with that girl and what she meant to him...

But once again, she stomached those concerns and worries, and smiled.

"Of course! Like always, you're right, Ash."

"Well, not always, but I do mean what I say." Ash took one last look at Kiloude's rooftops before heading back into the hotel room. "Come on, we should go sleep. We've got a big day ahead of us!"

Serena watched her crush go for a brief moment, mulling over his words of encouragement and advice. Then, she followed him, a smile plastered on her face.

Unbeknownst to either her or Ash, Grace and Layla had been secretly observing their conversation from the neighboring balcony, which belonged to their own room. Both were wearing happy, knowing smiles.

* * *

**Laurier Maison**

On the other side of Kiloude City, Aria sat on her bed, silently staring at a framed photo. It was of her, Paris, and the latter's Buneary ten years ago; they were standing in the very lobby of the Laurier Maison with a young, beautiful woman and a healthy, well-groomed Altaria. This woman closely resembled Aria, all the way down to her bright, cheerful smile, though her hair and eyes were blue. Aria heaved out a sigh as her grip on the photo tightened.

"Well, Mom," she said, "I'm back home. It's been a while." She chuckled softly and smiled a tiny smile. "I'm still bringing smiles to lots of faces, just like how you always brought a smile to my face. I've been giving so much love, care, and compassion to Kalos, just like you once did. You'd be so proud of me..."

Then, her expression turned into a sad, somber one, and her grip on the photo tightened even more. Her gaze hardened at the sight of the blue-haired woman in the photo.

"But now," Aria continued, "for the first time in a very long time, I think...I think I don't know what to do with that life anymore... I feel stuck in the mud...and whenever I see someone who can pull me out, who can help me find a way to move forward, this opportunity just gets taken away from me...because of _me_."

At that moment, the redhead started to think about Serena and all of the potential she had in Pokémon Showcases. She truly, _truly_ thought she had it in her to win the Master Class, triumph over her, and take the title of Kalos Queen away from her. She had been thinking of that possibility ever since she first met her in disguise. A little part of her mind even thought, with confidence, that her tenure as Kalos Queen was finally over, and that she could move on with her life. But now, that moment of apparent realization seemed like it was more of a distant dream.

"I have to defend my position, and I can't just retire from it. I can't imagine all of the disappointment and disapproval that would cause." With the latter sentence, Aria thought about Palermo especially; as much as she loved her teacher, she felt that the famed producer could also be overbearing when it came to Showcases. "I...I think I'm sinking, Mom. I'm sinking deep in the mud, and I'm not even making an effort to get myself out." Her vision suddenly became blurry, and she was forced to wipe her red eyes so she could clear them of the obstructive tears. "Oh, Mom. What would _you_ do...?"

Suddenly, the redheaded Kalos Queen heard a sudden creak and looked up.

"F-Foster?" she asked.

"H-Hey, Ar..." the farmhand replied, embarrassed at seeing his friend. He stepped through the doorway and into Aria's room. "S-S-Sorry for intruding-"

"Oh no, it's okay." Aria smiled at him while burying all of the negative feelings she just expressed. "You know, this room is exactly like how I left it."

"Well..." Foster closely examined the room, smiling in reminiscence. "My family knew how special this room was to you, so we had it closed off from all other guests. Aside from dusting and cleaning, no one's ever touched anything here."

"Oh, you didn't have to do that, Foster. Everyone's entitled to this room, not just the current Kalos Queen."

"Yeah, well..." Foster blushed slightly, and his hands were trembling a little. "I wanted to make sure you had something to come back to, Ar..."

Aria blinked in surprise at Foster's words. Then, she widened her smile before placing the photo back on the nightstand and then standing up from her bed. She approached Foster and hugged him, much to his shock.

"Thank you, Foster," she said softly and sincerely. "As always, you're such a great friend...and I can't believe I've never shown you my appreciation, not even once..."

"W-We-Well," the farmhand stuttered, his hands shaking even more, "y-you don't have to, Ar. I-I think y-you've d-done enough... I-I mean-"

Aria giggled as she broke the hug. "You know, Foster, you're still pretty cute whenever you're embarrassed. I can't believe I forgot about that."

Foster's blush deepened even more. "W-W-We-We-Well, um, uh... A-Ar... Y-You r-re-really don't have to, uh, um..." He started struggling to find the right words to say to her, but it was proving to be difficult with the Kalos Queen smiling her lovely, optimistic smile at him. "Uh, uh, um..."

"See what I mean?"

"Wh-Wh-Why'd you have to bring that up, Ar?!"

"Because I'm pretty sure it makes you feel better inside."

"N-No, i-it doesn't!"

"Yes, I think it does, even if you don't know it."

"Wh-What do you think you are, a-an expert at making people feel better?!"

"Uhhhhh...excuse me, which one of us is the Kalos Queen?"

Foster frowned and looked away, still recovering from his embarrassment at Aria's earlier praise. "They just voted for you because you'd look the best on a body pillow..." he muttered to himself, though Aria still heard him.

"What's a body pillow?" she asked, her head tilted in confusion.

"Trust me, you don't want to know."

Aria blinked, still intrigued. "And you do? Tell me, how do _you_ know what a body pillow is?"

Foster blushed even more. "I-It's... It's a little _complicated_..."

"Ahhhhh, I see." The redheaded girl snapped her fingers with realization. "It's a boy thing!"

The male farmhand held in a laugh. "I guess you could say that."

Then, much to Foster's fortune, Aria decided to change the subject. "By the way, how's Sylvia? I noticed her wing's better."

"She's fine," Foster replied. "Amara and I have been training her in flying. Her progress is actually pretty good." He prepared to say something else, but seemed to reconsider at the last second and instead said, "Yeah, it's pretty good."

"I'm glad."

"Yeah, me too." Foster put his hands in his pockets and started fidgeting with his foot. "She did miss you a lot, though."

"Oh yeah, I noticed."

"I mean, I don't think I ever seen her so happy ever since..." His voice trailed off, and an awkward silence permeated the bedroom, hanging over the two teenagers like a dark cloud. Finally, after considering all of the available options before him, the farmhand said seriously, "Aria."

"Yes?" Aria replied, but her voice sounded reluctant, hesitant.

"Why didn't you ever come back?"

"Wh-What are you talking about? I did come back."

"Yeah, after ten years. During that time, you never came back, not even once. You never sent us a letter, or called us, or anything like that. You never even talked about us on TV. Every time you talked to us, it always had to be through your sister. You never said _anything_ to us in person...anything to _me_ in person..."

"I was busy with Pokémon Showcases-"

"Just tell me the truth, Aria. Do you... Do you blame me for what happened?"

Aria's red eyes widened in surprise. "NO! I _don't_ blame you at all!"

"Well, maybe you should." Foster looked down at the floor with shame, and clenched his fists tightly. "I should never have investigated that-"

"Please don't blame yourself, Foster," interrupted Aria. Her red eyes were now shimmering with tears. "Please... Please don't."

"But you know as well as I do that I deserve all the blame!"

"No, I don't! If there's anyone who should be blamed for what happened back then, it's..." She cast a gloomy glance at the floor. "It's me..."

"No, I was at fault back then!"

"No, it was me!"

Foster frowned angrily, unwilling to let Aria beat herself up like that. "Well, if that's what you really believe, Ar, then why avoid all contact with me, my family, and all of Kiloude City for ten years?! Clearly there's something, or rather _someone_ here that you were trying to avoid!"

"Yes, there was something, and it was the MEMORIES!"

The silence briefly filled the room again.

"M-Memories..." repeated Foster.

"Yes, the memories!" Aria's eyes were now totally wet with tears. "Do you have any idea how much it hurts to be back here, the place where I grew up?!"

Foster's anger had now subsided and was replaced by bewilderment. "I don't understand, Ar... You seemed fine when you first got here-"

"Well, that's 'cause there were cameras on me! I couldn't afford to let them see me break down!" The dam suddenly broke, and Aria abruptly burst into tears. "Break down...li-like _this_!"

The redheaded girl collapsed back onto the bed, and a startled Foster merely stood there, unsure of what to do next.

"I returned here hoping I could focus more on the present, Foster," she continued between sobs. "But...But you had to bring up that...that _memory_!"

Foster's jaw dropped open as he realized what he had done. "I'm-I'm sorry, Aria!" he exclaimed. "I-I thought it was all because of me, nothing else-"

"Just leave me alone, Foster!"

Foster tried to protest, but he ultimately couldn't bring himself to do it upon seeing his sobbing mess of a friend. He mentally cursed himself for being so selfish and blindly confronting her on a sensitive topic, thinking he was the reason behind her mental anguish. And just when he thought the conversation was going so well too...

The farmhand sighed and left the bedroom, leaving Aria by herself again. Even after he was gone, she continued to cry for many, many minutes, all the while trying to fight off the terrible memories of explosions and roars and screeches and feathers. As she sobbed, a little part of Aria couldn't help but feel immensely relieved that there weren't any cameras around to record her misery.

Eventually, the redheaded Kalos Queen managed to stop crying, though she was still intensely overwhelmed by grief and unbearable pressure. She instinctively reached for the framed photo again and stared longingly into it.

**_"Remember this, Aria: a Pokémon Performer always has to wear a wonderfully radiant smile. That's the way you make everyone in your audience happy."_ **

Aria sniffled and wiped her eyes. Reflecting on her mother's words, the redhead couldn't believe how useless that advice was right now. And they call her Kalos Queen...

* * *

**Kiloude Forest**

In a clearing located near a hiking trail, the same cool, soft breeze blew. The blades of grass, plus the leaves on the nearby trees, swayed with the blowing air, looking as if they were waving to someone, anyone passing by. It was unusually quiet in this part of the forest, and no Pokémon were in sight, not even a single Caterpie. A soft but sharp bang sounded in the distance, indicating yet another strange explosion.

Suddenly, a light started to flicker and grow in the clearing, just a couple of feet above the ground. It shone brighter and brighter, until it was finally illuminating the grass and trees in a white, blinding light. Eventually, after a few minutes, the light quickly subsided, revealing an unconscious form holding a bundle.

The breeze continued to blow with a soft, tranquil whistle...

* * *

**Kiloude City  
** **The next day**

Bonnie laughed with excitement as she skipped down the cobblestone sidewalk, followed closely by the others. Serena and Shauna were giggling with anticipation; Ash, Pikachu, Calem, Tierno, Grace, Layla, and Moose were looking around to examine the bustling street they were at; Trevor was taking multiple photos of his surroundings; and Clemont was once again at the rear of the group, panting and struggling to keep up with them. The sidewalk was full of dozens of other pedestrians, all of whom the group had to maneuver their way around while trying to keep track of each other.

"Wow, Kiloude City sure is busy this time of the day!" Ash exclaimed as he nearly bumped into a teenage girl with shoulder-length, bluish-green hair who had a Dandy Trim Furfrou walking beside her.

"Pika!" added Pikachu.

"It sure is!" replied Tierno. "So, what're we gonna do first?"

"I'll tell you what we're gonna do first!" cried an excited Shauna. She looked at Serena, and both Performers had a certain glint in their eyes.

"And that is...?" Calem asked, the back of his head resting against his raised arms.

Serena and Shauna suddenly looked at Ash, Calem, Tierno, and Trevor, their eyes still glinting strangely. For a moment, the boys didn't know what these expressions were. But then, something in Ash's memory clicked into place, and his eyes widened with terror. He should've recognized that kind of look from anywhere!

" _No_..." he said.

"Oh, _yes_..." replied Serena, her normally dazzling sapphire-blue eyes now resembling those of a psychotic schoolgirl.

The rest of the boys caught on to the girls' intentions soon after. " _Nooooo_..." they moaned simultaneously.

Serena and Shauna merely giggled, while the boys' faces paled.

"Why?" Clemont asked, just as the exhausted inventor finally caught up to the others. "What're we doing?"

* * *

**Mall of Kiloude  
Several minutes later**

"NOOOOO!" Ash screamed in frustration as Serena handed him his tenth bag to carry. "I wanted to go looking for Trainers to battle!"

"Well, too bad, Ash," Serena replied, winking as she twirled a boater and a felt hat with her hands. "As the guys of the group, it's your shared duty to be the gentlemen and help the ladies out."

"You say that, but we're the only ones busting our backs here!" snapped Trevor, as he too carried way too many bags for comfort. The other boys were struggling with their own workloads, feeling as if their arms would rip off from their bodies.

"Oh, come on, Trevor," replied Shauna, as she was comparing two different pairs of fancy shoes. "The ladies are doing a whole bunch of work too. You know, it takes a lot of knowledge and precision to pick the best clothes and accessories for Showcase outfits!"

"I call shenanigans on that logic!"

Ash suddenly heard Moose laughing a couple of feet away from him. "Wow," the man said. "I feel bad for you guys. I wish I could help you, but I'm afraid I've got a few gift cards and I intend to use them all today."

"Hey, don't you dare bail on us, Uncle!" Calem protested. He tried to raise a fist in warning, but his arm was weighed down by the dozen or so shopping bags slung around it.

Moose didn't seem to hear, for he started to walk out of the boutique the group was in. "I'll meet you guys at the food court!" he called.

"Oh, no you don't!" Layla suddenly exclaimed as she grabbed her husband and forcibly dragged him back to the others. "You promised to help me with _my_ bags!"

"I-I _did_?" Moose blinked in bewilderment. "S-Since when?!"

"Since now. I'm pregnant with our children, remember? Now, be a darling and carry these for me." The Sinnoh native shoved three shopping bags into each of her husband's helpless hands before smiling sweetly at him. "Thank you very much!"

"Th-This is _madness_ , honey! Y-Y-You're not even participating in that Showcase!"

"Oh, I know. But since we're here and Dawson's paying for pretty much everything, I thought I might as well get some clothes and other souvenirs for Nana and the others back home!"

"Hey, Moose," Grace interjected, causing the poor man's skin to take on a deathly pale hue, "do you think you can take my shopping bags as well?"

"S-S-Sorry, Grace, m-m-my hands are f-full!" Moose cried as he started to feel the combined weight of Layla's bags.

"Why, thank you! I knew you'd be a dependable brother-in-law!" And with that, the former jockey slung two particularly large bags around his neck; they immediately started half-choking him due to their weight.

"Ack! ACK! Wh-What's... _in_ these?!"

"Materials for a new house for Rhyhorn-"

" _What_?"

"-two bags of Rhyhorn food-"

" _What_?!"

"-a new saddle for Rhyhorn-"

"Th-This b-boutique sells R-R- _Rhyhorn saddles_ t-t-too?!"

"-and a collection of china plates."

" _EXCUSE_ ME?!"

"For Nana, of course. You know her obsession with that china collection of hers. So please, do be careful with those bags! Some of those contents are very fragile."

Moose looked at Ash and the other boys, tears cascading down his cheeks. " _Please_..." he whimpered in a wheezing voice. "Help...Help me..."

"Sorry, Moose," Ash replied sadly. "Our hands are a little full at the moment..." Then, he shot a scathing look at Pikachu, who was sitting on his shoulder struggling not to laugh his tail off. "What're you laughing at? You know the girls are gonna make you the next pack Ponyta when we all run out of space for their stuff."

("They won't. I'm a Pokémon, and a small one at that. There's nothing they've got that they'll make _me_ carry.") Pikachu said confidently, though of course it was in Pikachu-speak and no one could barely understand him. ("And if they do try, I'll just use my cute face! Girls love the cute face.")

"Oh, Pikachu!" Bonnie called out, her young voice drawn out. The Mouse Pokémon looked at the little girl and was immediately dismayed when she raised a Pikachu-sized belle cosplay outfit. "You've _got_ to try this on! It'd look CUTE on you!"

"Dedenne!" Dedenne chirped in agreement; it was already wearing a cosplay outfit of its own, and surprisingly happily so. Squishy too was wearing a cosplay outfit, though it definitely wasn't as satisfied as Dedenne.

"I agree!" Serena exclaimed, her eyes gleaming with absolute delight. "Let's have Pikachu try it on!"

"Yes, let's, let's!" Shauna cried in agreement.

Pikachu's eyes widened with terror. Trying on clothes for the girls was WAY worse than having to carry their bags for them. Then, without hesitation, he cleared his throat and put on the most adorable begging expression he could muster.

" _Pikaaaaa_..." he said, beckoning them not to go through with that plan.

"Awwwww, how _cute_!" Bonnie gushed out. "You should use that face after I put this on you!"

"Yeah, that way it'd be double the Pika-cuteness!" replied Shauna.

"That's _exactly_ what I was thinking!"

Realizing that his ploy at manipulation had fallen flat on its face, Pikachu went as white as a sheet.

("Oh, f-")

* * *

**About an hour later**

The entire group was seated at a large table situated in the middle of the mall's food court, where dozens of people were eating and chatting like there was no tomorrow. Their shopping bags encircled the table like some sort of protective barrier; the girls were enjoying their food and purchases, while the boys were trembling, having had their energy unfairly expended by their respective workloads. And as for Pikachu, he was wearing an expression of dissatisfaction as he sat in the middle of the table, wearing the belle cosplay outfit that Bonnie bought for him.

One could ask the group how their day has been so far, and their responses would definitely be split into two distinct groups.

"You just HAD to ask what we were doing first..." Calem growled in irritation.

"I'm sorry for jinxing it..." moaned Tierno in response.

"So, what're we doing next?" Serena suddenly piped up, the honey-blonde clapping her hands together in excitement and anticipation.

"Oh, oh, I know!" Shauna exclaimed.

But before the tan-skinned Performer could continue, Ash, Clemont, Calem, Tierno, Trevor, and even Moose perked their heads up and hollered out desperately, "NO MORE SHOPPING!"

The six males then quickly settled down when they noticed everyone else in the food court was now giving them startled and even irritated looks. As for Shauna, she had a deadpan look on her face.

"Wow, chill out, guys," she said. "I was gonna recommend the Laurier Maison."

"The Laurier Maison?!" Ash cried, his eyes now alight with newfound energy. "I'd love to see it up-close and personal!"

"Pika-pika...pikachu..." Pikachu added in exhaustion, and without any enthusiasm whatsoever.

"Sounds like a great plan," Grace replied. She then scanned the others. "Well? Does anyone else have any other ideas?"

"As long as it doesn't involve shopping," Clemont moaned, "then I'm all in for absolutely _anything_."

"Same here," Trevor added.

"Ditto..." Tierno sighed out.

"Alright, then!" Serena shot up from her chair and adjusted her cycling cap. "Let's get going!"

" _Already_?" moaned Calem. "But cos, we're still resting up-"

Serena wagged her index finger at him. "Not buts about it, Calem! I wanna check out the Showcase Theater I'm gonna be performing in! I need to get a feel of it for the upcoming Exhibition Showcase!"

"And I want to see if it's everything Serena said it'd be!" Ash added, standing up from his chair as well.

"Everything Serena said it'd be...?" repeated Calem.

"I'll explain later," Serena replied. "Come on, guys, let's go see it!"

"Yeah, me too, me too!" added Bonnie.

"Nenene!" Dedenne squeaked.

"My, my, isn't someone excited today?" a new voice said.

Everyone looked to their left and saw a teenage girl approaching their table. She had blue hair styled in a tomboyish hairstyle, reddish-brown eyes that glinted with mischief, an equally mischievous smile, and an overall appearance that evoked both elegance and humility at once. She also wore a teal shirt with long, light-blue sleeves; cyan shorts; a simple orange tie; and a light-blue quilt headband. In her hands were half a dozen shopping bags, which she held with ease, and trotting by her side was a Slurpuff. Serena's eyes instinctively narrowed at the sight of the girl.

"Miette..." she said.

"Well, hello to you too," the girl replied. Then, she started scanning Serena from head to toe. "Well, well, well, you changed your clothes again. Huh..." She briefly eyed Ash, who greeted her with a friendly smile. "Did something happen between you and-"

"NOTHING HAPPENED, MIETTE!" Serena screeched. She then cleared her throat and said calmly, "My clothes just got drenched, that's all."

Miette raised an inquisitive eyebrow. "Oh, really...?"

"Yeah," the honey-blonde snarled in annoyance, "and they're being dry-cleaned at the hotel right now, as a matter of fact. So you can just drop whatever assumptions you have, Miette, because this is only going to be temporary."

The blue-haired Performer shrugged dismissively. "Whatever you say, Serena, whatever you say."

Serena could barely suppress a growl of irritation, for she could tell her rival wasn't entirely convinced. Meanwhile, Miette looked at the rest of the group.

"Hey, everyone," she greeted.

"Hey, Miette," Ash replied politely.

"I see you've all gone on a shopping spree here."

"We didn't," Calem deadpanned. "The girls did."

"Really? Why, that's great! Would you hold these for me, please? My hands need a break!"

Before Calem could protest, Miette promptly placed all of her bags on his lap. The Trainer gagged at their shared weight, which bore down on his lap like a ton of bricks. He was surprised that this mere Performer was able to carry that much weight without any visible problems.

Meanwhile, Grace asked, "So, who is this young lady, Serena?"

"Miette, another Showcase rival of mine," Serena replied, the irritated tone not completely gone from her voice.

"It's so nice to meet you all," Miette said, bowing her head politely at Grace, Layla, and Moose. "I assume you're Serena's family?"

"Uh-huh," Grace replied. "I'm her mom, and that's her aunt and uncle."

"Awesome! It's such an honor to be in your presence! Serena and I are, like, the best of pals. We're always motivating one another in our Showcases."

The former Rhyhorn Racer raised an eyebrow, impressed. "Really?"

"Yeah, pretty much..." Serena replied irritably, just as Miette looked towards her and Shauna.

"So, you said you were gonna go see the Laurier Maison?" she asked. When Shauna nodded in affirmation, the blue-haired Performer's eyes started twinkling with awe. "Mind if I tag along? I haven't seen the Laurier Maison either and it's definitely on my to-do list!"

"Sure!" Shauna replied, smiling widely. "We'd love to have you along for the ride!"

"A-Ab-Absolutely not!" Serena exclaimed, her voice cracking in the process.

"Excellent!" Miette cried excitedly, completely ignoring Serena's objection. "I needed some extra hands with my bags, anyway."

" _Obviously_ ," Calem spat.

"Alright!" Ash said, standing up from his chair. "Let's get going!"

"Please don't tell me we have to carry the bags again..." moaned Tierno.

* * *

**Outside the Mall of Kiloude**

"Will you stop jinxing us?!" Calem snapped.

"Sorry..." Tierno replied glumly, his head hanging low in shame.

As expected of the women and girls, they made the guys carry ALL of the bags for them. They let out a collective moan of pain and misery, whilst their shoulders trembled severely, looking as if they would tear off at a moment's notice. As for the gals, they were just conversing and laughing heartily. Ash could've sworn he heard Miette mention something about Nini, another rival of Serena's, but he was too distracted by his workload to listen in.

Fortunately for the guys, the whole group had just walked out of the mall when they heard a sharp, loud bang, something breaking just as loudly, and several people screaming.

"Whoa, what was that noise?!" Ash cried, quickly seizing the opportunity to drop the bags to the ground.

"It sounded like it came from over there!" Miette shouted, pointing towards their right.

The first thing the group saw was a cloud of smoke further down the street. Pedestrians were running away from it as fast as they could. On instinct, Ash determinedly ran down that direction, with Serena, Clemont, Bonnie, Shauna, Tierno, Trevor, and Miette following right behind him, the boys dropping their own shopping bags in the process.

As for Calem and Moose, they looked at Grace and Layla, who seemed to be preoccupied with the unknown, unfolding disaster. Taking advantage of the distraction, the two guys immediately dropped their bags so they could catch their breaths.

Unfortunately, there was a nasty crashing noise inside Moose's bags, triggered as soon as they hit the concrete.

"Honey?" Layla asked, glaring at her husband and nephew with a disturbingly serene expression. "What was that noise?"

Moose had only two words to say in response to his newest dilemma.

"Oh, f-"

* * *

Ash and the others had just reached the location of the billowing smoke when it started to clear up, revealing a scene of chaos and destruction. The walls of several buildings were knocked down, injured people and Pokémon were strewn all around the walkways, and there was a crater in the middle of the street.

"What happened here?!" Serena exclaimed to a man who was about to run past her.

"I don't know!" the man cried frantically. "Something just exploded!"

"Exploded?" Clemont asked curiously. He immediately went over to the crater to inspect it, followed by Bonnie.

"What're you looking for, Clemont?" Bonnie asked worriedly.

The inventor's glasses started to shine with the sunlight; the gears of his scientifically-inclined brain were whirring. "Clues..."

Meanwhile, the others sent out their Pokémon and went over to the walkways to tend to the injured. Shauna and Tierno assisted a mother, her two children, and their Teddiursa; Serena and Miette helped a fellow Performer and her Plusle and Minun; and Trevor stood at the side, taking multiple photos of the entire scene just in case. As for Ash and Pikachu, they noticed a teenage girl with hazel eyes and black hair styled into twin pigtails, who was wearing a reddish-orange dress with a gray-and-white skirt; she almost reminded Ash of a Fletchling.

"FLETCHLING!" the girl was screaming. "FLETCHLING, WHERE ARE YOU?!"

"Hey, what's wrong?!" Ash cried as he ran up to her.

"Pika!" added Pikachu with concern.

"My Fletchling!" The girl looked at him with teary, bloodshot eyes, and at that exact moment, Ash recognized her as a Pokémon Performer, though he forgot her name. "M-M-My Fletchling, she-she's gone! Missing! I-I don't know wh-where sh-she is!"

"Missing? Don't worry, we'll find Fletchling for you." Ash then looked up at the sky. "Talonflame!"

The Scorching Pokémon squawked as it swooped in and started flying over Ash and the Performer's heads.

"Alright, what does your Fletchling look like?" Ash asked.

"Wh-What?!" the girl exclaimed. "L-Like any other Fletchling, wh-what'd you expect?!"

Ash and Pikachu both sweat-dropped at this blunder before the former clarified, "I mean, does she have anything that'll set her apart from other Fletchling?"

The girl now looked immensely relieved. "Her hat! She's wearing a tiny strap-on hat! You...You can't miss it..."

She sniffled, prompting Ash to look up again and yell at Talonflame, "Did you hear that, Talonflame?! Go find Fletchling!"

Talonflame squawked again before flying further up into the air and circling around the area, using its extremely keen sight in order to keep a lookout on the hat-wearing Fletchling. Meanwhile, Pikachu looked back at the girl and noticed a cut in her left arm.

"Pikapi!" Pikachu cried.

"Huh?" Ash looked at the Mouse Pokémon. "What is it, Pikachu?"

"Pika-pika, pikachu!" Pikachu pointed at the girl's cut, after which Ash noticed it as well.

"Your arm!" the raven-haired Trainer cried, pointing at it in shock.

"W-Wha...?" The girl looked down and noticed the cut for the first time; her hazel eyes went wide. "EEK!" She collapsed to the ground as her arm began to tremble. "My arm! Oh, oh, my goodness, my _arm_!"

"Don't worry, don't worry!" Ash knelt down and set his backpack down. "I'll take care of it!"

Unzipping his backpack, Ash reached into it and pulled out the handkerchief Serena had returned to him a while back. Without a second thought, he wrapped the piece of cloth around the girl's injury and tied it so it could be secured. The girl winced a little, but otherwise accepted Ash's assistance.

"There you go!" Ash exclaimed, smiling positively as soon as he was done. "This should be enough until you see Nurse Joy!"

"Th-Thank you..." the girl replied, blushing a little at her savior's optimism. "Uh...I'm, uh... I'm Cl-Cl-Clarice..."

"Nice to meet you, Clarice!" The raven-haired Trainer pointed at himself. "I'm Ash, and this is Pikachu!"

"Pikachu!" greeted the Mouse Pokémon.

Suddenly, the two Trainers heard a familiar squawk, and they looked up. To their relief, Ash's Talonflame was flying back towards them, accompanied by a smaller Pokémon.

" _Fletchling_!" Clarice cried happily. The Tiny Robin Pokémon flew into her owner's arms, trembling and chirping frantically. "Oh Fletchling, it's okay! Don't be scared, everything's alright now." She then took a look at the tiny hat Fletchling was wearing, and found that it was singed. "Oh, your hat! It's ruined!" However, she smiled and hugged Fletchling. "Oh, it's okay. It's just one little hat. As long as you're okay, then I'm happy."

At that moment, the street became illuminated by emergency lights. Ash and Clarice looked and saw several ambulances arriving at the scene. However, this did not seem necessary: several pedestrians had apparently taken Serena, Shauna, Miette, and Tierno's examples and started treating the wounded on their own as well. Clarice looked at Ash, Pikachu, and Talonflame, the latter of whom had just landed on the ground.

"Thank you all so much!" she said.

"Don't mention it!" Ash replied, his smile widening as he gave the Performer a thumbs-up. "Just get to an ambulance and have yourself and Fletchling checked at."

Clarice nodded, blushing again as she ran past him, towards the nearest ambulance. Once she was gone, Ash was rejoined by Serena and the others, who had all apparently finished whatever they were doing.

"It's a good thing no one was seriously hurt," Trevor said, sighing heavily with relief. "I mean, look at this place! It's totally leveled!"

"Yeah, that's a miracle," Shauna replied, the tan-skinned Performer wiping beads of sweat from her forehead.

"What do you think happened?" Miette asked. "Did a meteor hit this place?"

"No, it's definitely not a meteor," Clemont suddenly replied.

Everyone looked at him, surprised by this conclusion, and Bonnie asked, "How do you know that?"

"Nenene," Dedenne squeaked.

"Look at the crater." The inventor pointed towards it. "It's not that deep. If it were a meteor, it would've made a larger impact than that. Not to mention the fact that it's empty."

"Well, that crater didn't just create itself," replied Tierno, crossing his arms.

"Well, definitely not. These clues lead me to assume that the explosion that we heard happened in midair."

"It happened in midair?" repeated Serena. "Maybe there was a battle and someone used Explosion."

"We'll know for sure when the police explain everything on the news. But if that's true, then someone's definitely got a whole lot of explaining to do."

Ash averted his gaze from the group and refocused it on the scene of destruction before him. Even though Serena's explanation sounded plausible, something in the Trainer's gut told him this had nothing to do with any sort of battle. He had never seen an Explosion move resulting in this much destruction and injury anyway.

All of a sudden, he witnessed a jeep skidding to a stop right behind the row of ambulances. Out from it, the female driver quickly hopped out without even bothering to turn off the engine. She had orange hair and brown eyes, and she was wearing a uniform that looked awfully familiar to him...

After a few seconds of thinking, something in Ash's memory clicked into place.

"Look, guys!" he cried, pointing towards the jeep. "A Pokémon Ranger!"

"A Pokémon what?" Serena asked, looking flabbergasted by the term.

"A Pokémon Ranger!" Ash looked at the others. "Wait, you've never heard of them before?" When the others shook their heads, he explained, "Pokémon Rangers always investigate any kind of crisis whenever it's a serious threat to Pokémon and nature!"

"Ohhhhh," Clemont replied, though he still looked a little confused. "So...that means-"

"That means we might be able to get some answers from her. Come on!"

The raven-haired Trainer ran towards the jeep, and the others followed behind him after some brief consideration. As soon as Ash ran up to the Ranger, he found her talking on some sort of communication device, which was projecting the hologram of a bearded man who almost resembled Meyer, Clemont and Bonnie's father.

"I just arrived at the scene, Rand," the Ranger said. "There's a lot of damage. I'm hearing the number of injured people and Pokémon is in the excess of thirty, but fortunately no one seems to be badly hurt."

 ** _"That's relieving to hear, Summer,"_** the hologram replied. _**"Do you think it's-"**_

"There's no need to think," interrupted the woman, Summer. "I _know_ it's related to those explosions in the forest."

"Explosions in the forest?" repeated Ash.

"Pika?" Pikachu asked.

"What?" Summer twirled around, noticed Ash and Pikachu for the first time, and was startled. "Uh, Rand, I gotta go. I'll, uh, I'll report back to you later." She quickly deactivated her communication device and crossed her arms. "What in the world are you still doing here, kid? Get outta here; this is an active scene!" Then, the woman noticed Ash's friends, who had all just caught up to him. "Wh-Wha?! What is this?! Do kids listen nowadays?! A-All of you, you need to clear out of this area ASAP!"

"Not until we know what's going on here!" Ash replied defiantly. "I heard you mention other explosions in the forest! What other explosions are you talking about?"

"Pika!" Pikachu squeaked in agreement.

Cursing herself under her breath for her loud mouth, Summer then replied, "Well, there have been reports of loud noises coming from Kiloude Forest since last week. Some colleagues and I were dispatched here to investigate. We eventually determined that the source of the noises were these random explosions."

"Random explosions?" Serena repeated. "Do you know what's causing them?"

To everyone's surprise, the Ranger shook her head. "No idea, young lady. But I'll tell you this: I've seen those explosions for myself and I can say for sure they're _not_ natural."

"Unnatural explosions happening at random?" Clemont summarized inquisitively. "You're sure you don't know the cause?"

Summer shook her head. "They just happen. There's no triggering factor, nothing."

"That's strange. I've never heard of anything like that in my life..."

"That is why it's important for you kids to get out of here. We don't know when and where the next explosion will strike-"

Suddenly, Squishy poked its head out of Bonnie's satchel and chirped loudly. Upon seeing it, Summer's eyes widened, as did those of Miette, who hadn't seen Squishy before then.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Who's that Pokémon?!" the Ranger exclaimed in both awe and confusion.

"Oh, this is Squishy," Bonnie replied. She took the minuscule green Pokémon out of her satchel and looked at it curiously as it started to fidget uncomfortably. "Are you okay, Squishy? You've been awfully quiet lately."

However, Squishy didn't respond. Instead, it was distantly looking off in a random direction. Everyone followed its gaze and realized that the green Pokémon was looking directly at the surrounding Kiloude Forest.

"Well then, it seems that your friend is sensing something in the forest," Summer replied, as she kept tilting her head so she could examine Squishy from multiple angles.

"Squishy senses a whole lot of things," Bonnie said. "Maybe it knows what's causing all of this."

_**"He...ello? Ca...yone hear...er."** _

"Wait a minute, who's speaking?" Serena asked, looking around curiously upon hearing the disjointed voice.

Summer looked at her communication device first, but was surprised to see it wasn't activated. "Huh," she said. "It must be the walkie-talkie Rand gave me as a last resort..."

The Ranger procured the aforementioned walkie-talkie; indeed, the voice was coming out of that device.

_**"Hello? Is any...ceiving thi...ssage? Ov..."** _

"Do you know who's calling?" Shauna asked.

"I don't know," Summer replied, her eyes narrowing with concern. "It must be someone out of range, someone who's injured." She pressed a button on the walkie-talkie and spoke into it. "Hello? Hello? If you can hear me, you've reached Pokémon Ranger Summer. I am in Kiloude City right now. You are a little out of range. Are you in desperate need of any assistance? Over."

For a few moments, there was no response. Then, the voice on the other end replied, _**"My name's Yuu. I...in Kiloude Fores...ere's a little girl...king for...er mother... Ove..."**_

"Yuu, I still can't understand you. What's this about a little girl? Over."

The others' heads perked up in worry at the reference to the girl. Hopefully nothing bad happened to her...

_**"Little girl... In forest... Asking for...mother... Serena Ketchum...ver."** _

Serena blinked twice. Did she hear that right?

"Wait, hold on for a moment, Yuu," Summer said. "Is that girl hurt in any way? Over."

_**"No. She...st askin...or her moth...ain, her name...erena Ketchum. Ov..."** _

"Serena Ketchum, huh...?" Miette remarked, casting a sly glance at Ash and Serena.

"Hey, don't make any funny assumptions, Miette!" Serena snapped. "It's just the bad reception mincing the words, that's all!" Her voice choked a little at that assumption, but she knew there was no way this Yuu person was thinking of her as Serena Ketchum.

"Why?" Summer asked, looking at the Trainers with curiosity. "Is one of you Serena Ketchum?"

"She wishes," replied Miette, pointing at Serena teasingly while Shauna stifled a giggle.

"SHUT UP, MIETTE!" Serena shrieked, her voice cracking. Then, she cleared her throat and spoke to Summer. "My name _is_ Serena, but my last name's Gabena." She pointed at Ash. " _His_ last name is Ketchum."

"Yeah, I'm Ash Ketchum," Ash added.

"Okay..." Summer looked from Serena to Ash and back. "I'll check with this Yuu person." She spoke back into the walkie-talkie. "Yuu, if you can hear me, I don't know anything about a Serena Ketchum, if that is indeed what you were trying to say, but I do have a Serena Gabena and an Ash Ketchum with me right now. Are these the people you wanted? Over."

Once again, there was no response for a few moments. Then, Yuu replied, _**"Yes, that's them. Find my...aquil's Flamethrower... We will be the... Ove...d out."**_

"Well, whaddaya know?" Tierno said, crossing his arms.

"I guess you two _are_ needed," Summer remarked, looking at Ash and Serena. "Okay, so this Yuu character's in Kiloude Forest from what I could gather."

"And Squishy's sensing something from Kiloody Forest!" Bonnie exclaimed.

"Yeah, that too. Perhaps this could be the key to solving this strange and disastrous phenomenon..." Summer started walking towards the jeep. "I need you two to come with me."

"Come with you?" Ash repeated, while Serena blinked with surprise.

"Yes, to Kiloude Forest." Summer got into the driver's seat. "Until today's incident, all of the unnatural explosions have been happening all around there. There's a pretty good reason this phenomenon has been mostly restricted to that area, and if a complete stranger's asking for you two to go there, it could very well be the answer we've all been seeking."

"Sounds reasonable," Clemont replied hesitantly.

"Well, if that's the case, then I'm all in for it!" Ash exclaimed as he hopped into the jeep. "Come on, Serena!"

"Right behind you, Ash!" Serena replied, the honey-blonde smiling as she followed her crush into the vehicle.

"I wanna go too, I wanna go too!" Bonnie chirped, as she and Clemont both climbed inside as well. "Squishy seems to know where to go, so we could use him as a guide!"

"Nenene!" Dedenne chirped in agreement.

"Very well, very well," Summer replied; the Ranger was apparently not in the mood to argue against that. She then looked at Shauna, Tierno, Trevor, and Miette, who were also moving towards the jeep. "Uh, uh, uh, don't even _think_ about it, you four. This jeep can only hold so much people. _You_ need to get out of here and find shelter. Who knows if there'll be any more explosions in the city?"

"Alright," the four Trainers replied simultaneously, their voices filled with disappointment.

"Good luck, you guys," Shauna added, her gaze particularly focused on Serena.

"Hey, don't worry about us, Shauna," Serena replied, smiling optimistically at her rival. "The four of us have faced worse than this. For all we know, this is probably gonna be nothing!"

* * *

**Kiloude Forest  
Several minutes later**

"MOMMY!"

Serena had never, ever felt so wrong before.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, this is unanimously the story's longest chapter. But I guess it's understandable, given its subject matter.
> 
> Speaking of which, we're now back to where the first part of Chapter 1 left off! HOORAY! :D :D :D
> 
> Sorry if the drama's a little hokey. After rereading the AmourShippy scene and the conversation between Aria and Foster, I felt like there was a lot more room for improvement, but I wasn't all that sure on what else I could do with it. Well, I guess this is what happens when I haven't written in a while. Hopefully I'll improve as time goes along.
> 
> Also, I'm not sure if any of you caught on, but Clarice is yet another one of those background Pokémon Performers that I have chosen to put into the spotlight! She too will be having a supporting role like Sara Lee and Concetta, so this isn't the last you've seen of her!
> 
> Well, hope you enjoyed this chapter! TheCartoonFanatic01 is out. PEACE!


	6. The Girl From The Future

**The local Pokémon Center  
** **Kiloude City**

It was a chaotic day for the Pokémon Center. Nurse Joy, her Wigglytuff, several assistants and their Pokémon, and even volunteers and their own Pokémon scrambled around the building, attending to the many injured Trainers and Pokémon. All of the television and computer screens were flashing live reports of the mysterious explosion in downtown Kiloude. The lobby was packed to the brim with people awaiting news on the conditions of their family members, friends, and/or Pokémon.

In the lobby, Grace paced around worriedly, with Fletchling perched on her shoulder, examining its Trainer with concern. Meanwhile, Shauna, Tierno, Miette, Calem, Layla, and Moose were watching the live news report on the nearest TV. As for Trevor, he was reviewing the photos he took at the scene of the explosion, hoping one of them caught something of substantial interest.

Suddenly, everyone in the lobby heard screeching tires, followed seconds later by the doors automatically sliding open; a group ran inside. Grace's eyes widened with relief when she saw the uninjured Serena, Ash, Clemont, and Bonnie among them. She noticed some of them were carrying people or Pokémon.

"Serena!" the former Rhyhorn Racer cried, catching the attention of Shauna, Tierno, Miette, Calem, and Layla.

"Mom?!" Serena exclaimed in surprise as she was embraced in a tight hug.

"Shauna told me you and your friends went off into the forest! I'm so glad nothing happened to you in there!"

"W-We're fine, Mom." Then, the honey-blonde Performer glanced at one of the other members of the group, who Grace recognized as a Pokémon Ranger through the uniform. "You have _no idea_ what we found there..."

"Is Nurse Joy here?!" Pokémon Ranger Summer shouted. "This is a big emergency!"

"I'm here, I'm here," the pink-haired nurse replied, struggling to hide her exhaustion as she trudged her way through the dense crowd. "Who needs medical attention?"

"Yes! This girl, first off." Summer handed Nurse Joy the unconscious young, black-haired girl tucked in her arms. "She's got bruises and cuts, and she fainted as soon as we got to her."

"Oh, you poor, poor thing! Well, these injuries look pretty minor, but looks can be deceiving. She's sure been through a lot, I can say that much. I'll have her checked right away. And is there anyone else?"

"Yes, there is, actually." Summer looked at Bonnie. "Bonnie, Pichu please..."

"Oh, yeah!" the little girl replied. After looking down momentarily at the unconscious and injured Pichu in her arms, she raised it towards Nurse Joy, whereupon the nurse motioned for one of her assistants to retrieve the Tiny Mouse Pokémon for her.

"Alright," Nurse Joy said. "We'll see to it that these two get looked at and treated if need be-"

"Actually, there's something else..." Summer interrupted. At that moment, the ranger started looking around nervously, as did Serena, Ash, Clemont, Bonnie, and the black-haired couple that was with them. "And this is where we're gonna need to convene in private. It's, uh...it's _very_ important no one else sees this..."

Nurse Joy blinked in surprise. "Y-Y-Yes, o-of course. My office is empty right now; we can continue our conversation in there."

"Perfect." Summer then looked at Ash. "Ash, I need you to give it to me, please."

Ash nodded silently before giving the Ranger an unknown object, wrapped in a dirty brown cloth. Grace raised a curious eyebrow at it, but she chose to remain silent about it. Summer and Nurse Joy promptly walked away, with the little girl still in the latter's arms. Once the two were gone, Shauna looked at Serena.

"Well? What happened in the forest, Serena?" the tan-skinned Performer asked. "Who was that girl? And what did you just give to that Pokémon Ranger, Ash?"

Serena, Ash, Clemont, and Bonnie all looked at each other. Then, Serena looked back at her friendly rival.

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you, Shauna," she replied.

"Try me."

Serena sighed briefly. "Well, we need to talk about it somewhere else. Somewhere private. I don't wanna risk anyone else listening in on this."

* * *

 **The Blue Suns Deluxe Hotel  
** **Several minutes later**

After a while, the group finally convened at a private corner, located directly outside the hotel lobby. Once everyone was assembled, Serena, Ash, Clemont, Bonnie, and the black-haired couple were addressing the others.

"So what happened out there in the forest?" asked Miette.

"Did you guys find out what was causing those explosions?" Tierno asked.

"Well, uh...maybe..." Ash replied, sounding unsure of himself.

"What do you mean by 'maybe'?" Shauna asked.

"We're not really sure if we found the cause," Serena replied, speaking for Ash. "We'll definitely find out more when Summer calls us back to the Pokémon Center."

"So...what _did_ happen in the forest...?"

At that moment, one of the strangers with Serena, Ash, Clemont, and Bonnie stepped forward. He was a young man with black hair and brown eyes, who wore small rectangular glasses, a white long-sleeved shirt with a Gengar symbol, a thick olive-green-and-black waistcoat, tan pants, a red scarf, and a large brown handbag.

"Well, first off, we found the girl and that Pichu of hers," he said. "My name's Yuu, by the way." He pointed towards his female companion, a young woman with chin-length black hair and blue eyes, who wore a pale-green jacket, an orange skirt, an orange beret, a red scarf, and a brown purse. "This is my girl- I mean, my wife Ami. We were exploring on a trail when we found that girl lying in the middle of the forest, asleep."

"When we woke her up," explained the woman, Ami, "she was scared and didn't want to come with us. So we stayed and Yuu had help come to us."

"That's where we came in," Bonnie piped up.

"So that's it?" Miette asked.

"You just found a girl there?" added Tierno, who was equally confused.

"Well, that's not all," Ash replied. "That girl, she had a..." He looked around first to see if anyone was eavesdropping. "She had a _Celebi_ with her."

* * *

**The local Pokémon Center**

At the same time as Ash made that revelation, Summer was unwrapping the cloth of the bundle she was carrying, all the while standing inside the solitary confines of Nurse Joy's office. Indeed, it revealed a Celebi, who was unconscious and even more badly injured than the girl Nurse Joy was carrying.

"Oh, my goodness!" Nurse Joy exclaimed in shock and surprise. "I-Is that a-?"

"Yes, it is, Nurse Joy," Summer interrupted, looking down gravely at the Time Travel Pokémon. "It's definitely a Celebi."

Nurse Joy looked down at the unconscious girl. "You found it with this girl in the middle of Kiloude Forest?" she asked.

"That's correct."

The pink-haired nurse's eyes widened as she came to a startling conclusion. "D'you think this girl may have come from a different time period, then?"

"Possibly. The implications are definitely there. But we can't preoccupy ourselves with these assumptions. I need you to heal both this girl and this Celebi ASAP. We'll find out more afterward."

"Wigglytuff and I will get it done immediately." Then, Nurse Joy thought about it for a quick moment before asking, "D'you also think this could be why we've been having all those reports of loud noises lately? Why this strange explosion happened?"

"Quite possibly. This is all way too coincidental." At that moment, Wigglytuff stepped into the office, and Summer handed Celebi over to the Balloon Pokémon. "Way too coincidental indeed."

* * *

**Several minutes later**

A determined Serena led the way as her group reentered the Pokémon Center. She was relieved when Summer called her on the Holo Caster she gave her, informing her that Nurse Joy found no significant injuries on the girl she found, and that the girl was now up and asking for them. She was also relieved that her family and other friends, her mother especially, didn't freak out too much at Ash's revelation that a Celebi was found with the girl. After all, she definitely didn't want anyone like Team Rocket overhearing this and getting any ideas.

_**"MOMMY!"** _

_**"M-Mo-** _ **Mommy** _**...?"** _

_**"Uh...ugh..."** _

Serena's eyes softened as soon as she remembered her first (and so far only) conversation with the strange girl, who had collapsed soon after. Her mind was still reeling from what had happened in the forest. The girl sounded so confident that she was her mother, and yet, it was impossible for that to happen. Serena knew she would've had to be at a young age if she gave birth to that girl. And yet...why did she feel so responsible for that girl's well-being now...?

 _"Whatever the answer is,"_ Serena thought conclusively, _"I will find out pretty soon. If that girl wants to talk, then we'll talk."_

After edging her way through the crowd, Serena approached the front desk, where she found an overwhelmed secretary sitting at.

"Name, please?" the saggy-eyed woman croaked with exhaustion.

"Serena Gabena," the honey-blonde replied. "Pokémon Ranger Summer said we'd be coming."

"Oh, yes, yes, yes. They're in Room 6."

"Thank you."

Serena and the others proceeded further down the hallway to the right of the desk. It took just a few seconds for Bonnie to find Room 6, where they found Summer and Nurse Joy standing by the doorway. They were talking about something, though they couldn't tell what.

"Oh, there you guys are," Summer greeted upon spotting them. Then, she noticed Grace, Shauna, Tierno, Trevor, Miette, Calem, Layla, and Moose. "Whoa, whoa, whoa, who are _they_?"

"Friends and family," Serena replied. "We told them everything."

However, Summer still looked suspicious. "Can they be trusted?"

"Miss, I'm her _mother_ ," Grace suddenly said, a bitter frown forming on her face. "I've raised Serena for seventeen years, and I'll admit that we've had a bit of a difficult relationship. But we're starting to get along pretty well, so if she tells me something as important as this, then yeah, I think she trusts me. So don't you dare think otherwise."

"Okay, okay, jeez!" Summer crossed her arms, looking offended. "I was just checking."

Then, the Ranger and Nurse Joy escorted the group inside the room, with Yuu and Ami electing to stay behind. Serena looked towards the bed and saw the same girl lying in it. Upon closer inspection, she can definitely see both herself and Ash in that girl. She had her skin and eyes, but she also had Ash's hair color. The way she was eating her cereal and milk also reminded her of Ash. It would've been some crazy coincidence if that girl wasn't her daughter, then.

"Hi, there," Serena greeted.

"Hi, Mommy!" the girl chirped, her sapphire-blue eyes lighting up considerably. At the corner of her eye, Serena could see Grace, Layla, Moose, and even Calem tense up; she immediately remembered that she left out the detail of the girl calling her 'Mommy'.

It also confirmed something: the girl definitely wasn't mistaken when she called her her mother.

"Wh-What's your name?"

"Selene. Don't worry, Mommy, you'll learn it later on."

Serena looked at Summer, who said, "I told her today's date. She's... _pretty_ insistent she came from the future."

"Yep, and now that you're all here, everything's gonna be a whole lot better!" the girl exclaimed optimistically. Even her smile reminded Serena of Ash's.

"Why's that?" Clemont asked, confused.

"Well, if I was in another time, then I'd be in big trouble because you all wouldn't be here. Then I'd be all alone and I wouldn't know what to do." Selene suddenly hiccuped a little, and she wiped her lips of the milk coating it. "You should know that, Uncle Clemont! I thought you were smart!"

"I-I _am_ smart!"

"Yeah, smart enough to make inventions that explode and give us bad hairdos," Bonnie deadpanned.

"Nenene..." Dedenne added.

"Uncle Clemont doesn't make exploding inventions," Selene suddenly replied, looking confused at Bonnie's criticism. "He's the best inventor in the whole wide world. He makes lots of cool stuff. He doesn't make anything that explodes and gives you bad hairdos."

Clemont blushed, but he proudly adjusted his glasses and said, "Thank you very much, uh, Selene." He then glared at Bonnie with a smug expression. "Why can't you be this supportive of me, Bonnie?"

"So is it true that you came from the future?" Bonnie asked, having completely ignored her older brother now. Presently, she was approaching Selene's bedside and examining the girl thoroughly.

"Uh-huh," Selene replied, nodding.

"Pffft, no way."

"Yes way!"

"Okay, prove it," Miette suddenly said, her arms crossed. "What kind of Pokémon do I have?"

"You have Slurpuff, Meowstic, and Togetic, Auntie Miette!" Selene replied confidently.

"A-Au-Auntie Miette, huh...?" The surprised blue-haired Performer couldn't help but swoon a little at the title. However, Serena looked at her curiously.

"But you don't have a Togetic, Miette..." the honey-blonde said.

"Actually, I do!" Miette pulled out a Poké Ball. "I caught it last week, after the Master Class!"

"Wow, amazing," Clemont replied, awestruck. "She identified all three of your Pokémon spot-on..."

"Eh, it's probably just a lucky guess," Bonnie said; the blonde girl seemed unconvinced, for she was frowning with suspicion. "Okay, Selene, tell me, what kind of Pokémon do _I_ have?"

"You have Dedenne, Blastoise, Tyrantrum, Skiddo, and Klefki," replied Selene, her voice never failing to miss a beat.

Bonnie suddenly made a buzzer noise. "Wrong! I don't have any of those Pokémon! You just saw Dedenne and then made the rest up! You're just a fibber!"

"Dedenne!" Dedenne squeaked.

Selene frowned sadly. "I'm not fibbing! You'll have those Pokémon later on, Auntie Bonnie!"

"Yeah, right. And I'm not your auntie. I'm only old enough to be your sister."

"Well, you're my Auntie Bonnie, Auntie Bonnie." At that moment, Selene remembered something crucial. "Oh, right, I forgot someone! You have Squishy!"

...

"Come again?" asked Bonnie.

"Yeah, Squishy! Did you meet him yet? He's a little green Pokémon with a little red center, very squishy-"

"I know who Squishy is!"

Upon hearing Bonnie's outburst, Squishy poked its head out of her satchel and looked at Selene with a surprised expression. Selene, in turn, smiled widely at the sight of the mysterious green Pokémon.

"Hi, Squishy!" she exclaimed. Then, without warning, she took Squishy and started rubbing its stomach, causing it to laugh. "Ohhhhh, you're so squishy as always! So cute!"

"H-HEY!" Bonnie screamed, taking Squishy from the other girl's hands. "Don't you DARE lay your hands on Squishy! Squishy's very sensitive to other people! Only I get to touch Squishy like that!"

"B-But you always let me touch him, Auntie Bonnie-"

"Well, you're never touching him again! Never, ever, FOREVER!"

" _Bonnie_!" Clemont snapped. "That's not very nice!"

Bonnie looked at her brother defiantly. "But she touched Squishy without asking!"

"Then she'll apologize," Serena suddenly said, looking at Selene. "Won't you, Selene?"

Realizing what she had done, Selene looked at Bonnie, bowed her head, and said, "I'm sorry, Auntie Bonnie."

In response, Bonnie's frown became more pronounced, and she looked away. "I still don't think you're from the future," she replied stubbornly. "You made a lucky guess."

"Nene..." Dedenne said, even though it was addressing its unofficial owner instead.

"Well, I'm pretty convinced," Ash said, looking at Selene and smiling at her. "You got all of Miette's Pokémon right, you knew that Bonnie would have Squishy, you knew who Squishy was, and we've never met you before, so you couldn't have just figured it out on your own. Not to mention you had a Celebi with you. The only explanation for all of that is that you had to have come from the future!"

"Pika!" Pikachu squeaked in agreement.

"Sounds pretty reasonable to me," Shauna replied.

"Yeah, same here," Tierno added.

"Wow, a time-traveler!" Trevor exclaimed excitedly, as he hurriedly procured his camera. "This reminds me, I probably should take a picture of you! I mean, you don't come across a time-traveler every day on your Pokémon journey!"

Selene smiled just in time for the amateur photographer to take his desired picture. As Trevor examined his handiwork, Serena pulled a chair and sat down beside the little girl.

"So you really _are_ from the future, huh?" she asked.

"Uh-huh," Selene replied, nodding vigorously. "And you're my mommy! Or, well, you'll _be_ my mommy."

"I, uh...I see. So..." Serena started to blush, and her heart raced with anticipation. "If I'm your mommy, then who's your daddy?"

Selene's smile widened even more with excitement, and she opened her mouth, but before she could say anything...

"We can't focus on that right now," Summer suddenly interrupted. "We need to know how you got to this timeline with a Celebi in your hand. This could be the answer to everything that's been happening around here."

"Oh, yes, yes, of course..." Serena replied forlornly. She looked back at Selene and asked, "So, Selene, how _did_ you and Celebi get here?"

Selene blinked and tilted her head slightly with confusion. "You want me to tell you everything?" she asked.

"Yes, everything." Serena smiled sweetly and placed a hand on her apparent daughter's own hand. "Just start from the beginning."

The black-haired girl nodded, her smile widening sweetly. "Okay!"

* * *

_**Twenty years in the future...** _

* * *

**In the skies of Kiloude City**

Selene stared out of the window and smiled widely at the sight of Kiloude City. She felt her beloved Pichu scrambling onto her left shoulder so she could share the view. The Tiny Mouse Pokémon's left ear, adorned with three spiky tufts of fur at the tip, twitched a little with excitement and anticipation.

"Look, Auntie Bonnie, it's Kiloude City!" the seven-year-old girl exclaimed.

"Pichu pichu!" Pichu squeaked happily.

"Yes, Selene honey," the young blonde woman replied, smiling. "That's Kiloude City all right."

Sitting beside Selene was her honorary aunt Bonnie, as well as Bonnie's twin daughters Allie and Maddie. Identical twins, Allie and Maddie looked just like their mother when she was their age, except Maddie's side-ponytail and button-shaped hairpin were on the right side instead of the left just like Allie and Bonnie's hairstyles. Or was it Allie's hair that was a mirror of Maddie and Bonnie's? Barely anyone could tell, not even their poor father and uncle. The only ones who could tell were Bonnie and Selene themselves, and unsurprisingly, they didn't bother to let anyone else in on their secret.

"We will be landing at the private helipad in about ten minutes, Miss Bonnie," the helicopter pilot announced from the cockpit, which was in plain view of the passenger seats.

"Oh, excellent!" replied Bonnie cheerfully. "Thank you so much for the ride, Clara!"

"Nenene!" Dedenne squeaked from its perch on Bonnie's right shoulder.

"Well, Ms. Gabena did pay for this and is helping me out with my mom's medical bills, so naturally I had to agree."

The woman then resumed her focus on the skies ahead. Meanwhile, Selene, Pichu, Allie, and Maddie were still examining the magnificent sight of Kiloude City below. Their eyes were all as wide as saucers.

"Mommy?" Allie (or Maddie?) eventually asked.

"Yes, Allie?" replied Bonnie, confirming the twin's identity in the process.

The blonde girl's head was tilted in an adorably curious angle. "Is it true that everyone in Kiloude City is kind, sweet, and exquisite?"

The woman smiled. "What makes you say that, sweetie?"

"We keep hearing people say it on TV," replied Maddie. "Especially Auntie Aria."

"Well, it's definitely true. After all, your Auntie Aria's from there, and she's one of the kindest, sweetest, and most exquisite people I've ever known. There's no doubt about it."

"I guess..."

Then, Selene looked at her honorary aunt. "I hope big sis Yancy wins the Showcase," she remarked hopefully.

Bonnie chuckled and patted her head. "Oh, I know she's gonna win this, Selene! I just know it! Just have faith."

* * *

**Battle Maison, Kiloude City**

As soon as she felt her private helicopter touch the higher-level helipad, Selene, Allie, and Maddie immediately unbuckled their seatbelts, and Selene slid her side-door open. Once it was fully open, the three girls hopped out without a second thought, followed by Dedenne. Once she got a few feet away, Selene began spinning around with her arms raised as she absorbed the sights and sounds of Kiloude City's rooftops. She could hear all of the paparazzi reporters on the street level below her, frantically scrambling to take pictures of the arriving helicopter.

"This is so awesome, Pichu!" Selene cried, laughing with anticipation as she put on her beloved straw hat. "I've never been to Kiloude City before! And it looks so PRETTY!"

"Pichu pichu-pi!" Pichu squeaked in agreement.

"Look at the Battle Maison!" squealed Maddie (or Allie?) as she pointed towards the aforementioned building. "It looks _just_ like a castle! I'd love to live there!"

Allie (or Maddie?) immediately turned towards her mother, who was approaching the trio of excitable girls at a fast pace while their private helicopter was now taking off.

"How come we've never been here before, Mommy?" the twin asked.

"Well, I was hoping to save this visit as a special occasion!" Bonnie replied honestly, as Dedenne scurried back onto her shoulder. She then held out her hands, all the while wearing an optimistic grin. "Come on, girls! Yancy's waiting!"

Selene quickly took Bonnie's right hand, while Allie (or Maddie?) took her mother's unoccupied one, and as for Maddie (or Allie, who knows?), she took her twin sister's unoccupied hand. With that, the woman escorted them into one of the Battle Maison's notable castle towers. They walked down a few hallways, which Selene didn't bother to keep track of because she and Pichu were busy admiring the medieval-style portraits of people from long ago. Eventually, she spotted and recognized a portrait of Sir Aaron and his trusty Lucario, but before she could point it out to her aunt, Bonnie had already spotted someone.

" _Shauna_!" she called.

Selene looked down the same direction as her aunt and saw none other than her Auntie Shauna.

"Hi, Bonnie!" Shauna replied, running up to the duo and grabbing Bonnie's shoulders. "You made it just in time!"

"Well, I wouldn't miss it for the world," Bonnie said.

"Hi, Auntie Shauna!" chirped Selene, Allie, and Maddie, all at once.

"Pichu-pi!" Pichu squeaked as a greeting.

"Dedenne!" Dedenne squeaked.

"Hi, girls, Pichu, Dedenne!" Shauna knelt down and patted Selene's head, much to her pleasure. "Here to watch your sister compete in the Master Class?"

"Yep!" Selene raised a determined fist. "And I know she's gonna win it for sure!"

"Pichu pichu-pi!" squealed Pichu.

"Well, I don't know about that." A crafty glint appeared in Shauna's eye. "I think Savannah's got what it takes to outpace her..."

Bonnie scoffed jokingly. "If only Serena were here right now to see you needlessly brag, Shauna," she replied. "So, who else is here right now?"

"Everyone, actually. You guys are one of the last ones to arrive. They're all in the VIP booth. Come, I'll take you there!"

Shauna stood up and led the others further down the hallway. After a minute, they entered a high-end mezzanine, which overlooked the lobby. Looking towards the ground floor, Selene could see Pokémon Performers signing up for the Showcase, with their Pokémon loyally standing beside them. Some of them looked determined and excited, others looked worried and ambivalent. In addition to those Performers, Selene could also see other people, most likely guests accompanying the Performers, such as family members and good friends.

Several seconds later, Shauna led the group into another hallway, and they passed a few doors before stopping at one marked 'VIP ACCESS ONLY. DO NOT ENTER WITHOUT AUTHORIZATION.' Shauna opened this door, and the trio stepped into a large booth overlooking the entire Showcase Theater. There were already over a dozen other people present, all of whom Selene recognized all too well. However, she was only focused on one.

"Yancy, Yancy, Yancy!" she cried excitedly, breaking away from Bonnie, who didn't notice as she greeted the other guests.

The girl in question twirled around and smiled upon seeing her younger sister. She was a teenager with chin-length pink hair and crystal-blue eyes that would remind anyone of the ocean on a clear, sunny day, or something pretty mystical. She wore a short-sleeved white shirt, a long-sleeved baby-blue dress, a white panama hat with a hot-pink bow, and a hot-pink satchel. This was the person Selene looked up to the most, outside of her parents.

"Hi, Selene!" Yancy replied as she embraced the seven-year-old girl in a tight hug. "Oh, it's been a while!"

"I missed you, big sis Yancy!" Selene then broke the hug and looked around. "Where's Reddy?"

"Oh, I'm sorry, Red's not gonna make it. His flight out of Sinnoh got delayed." However, the teenage girl smiled brightly and optimistically. "But he said he'd be watching on TV."

However, Selene puffed her cheeks and crossed her arms. "He's probably just smooching Platinum again."

The girl stuck out her tongue in disgust, prompting Yancy to reply, "Oh, come on, Selene. Platinum's very nice when you get to know her."

"She's weird and mean, and she beats Reddy up all the time!"

Yancy stifled a laugh. "That's 'cause she's a tsundere, Selene!"

"A tsu...tsun...tsunny...what?"

"I'll tell you all about it when you're older."

"O-Okay..."

"So, uh, Mom and Dad are gonna be late for the Showcase?" At those words, Yancy looked around the VIP booth, as if expecting to see her parents pop up at any moment.

"Yeah. I wish they were already here, though. This is all so exciting!" Then, Selene's sapphire-blue eyes widened. "Oh, I just remembered!" She took the backpack she had been wearing for a while, zipped it open, and pulled out something. "Pichu and I made this for you!"

She showed the obscured object to Yancy; it was a crudely-drawn sketch of the pink-haired teenager becoming Kalos Queen, decorated with Pichu's paw-prints. Despite the sub-par quality of the drawing, Yancy smiled lovingly and hugged Selene again.

"Thank you so much, Selene," she said. "This is the good-luck charm I needed."

"You're welcome!" Selene replied, smiling from cheek to cheek.

"Pichu-pi!" Pichu squeaked in agreement. Then, as Selene parted from her sister again, she hopped off of her unofficial owner's shoulder and looked at Yancy again. "Piiiii- **CHUUUUU**!"

Without warning, the Tiny Mouse Pokémon unleashed a weak Thunder Shock upon Yancy, electrocuting her.

"A-A-A-A-A-G-G-G-G-G-H-H-H-H-H!" the pink-haired girl squealed, her jaws chattering from the volts of electricity.

Once Pichu was done, Selene smiled obliviously and proclaimed, "And that's Pichu's own good-luck charm! So now you have two good-luck charms, big sis Yancy!"

Everyone else laughed, even Yancy as she shrugged off the minor but still effective shock she received.

"Selene, Selene!" a young voice called out simultaneously. Selene looked beside Yancy's leg and saw a boy around her age running towards her.

"Elio!" Selene exclaimed happily.

The boy immediately tackled her in a tight hug, which Selene reciprocated.

"It's so good to see you again, Selene!" Elio cried.

"I missed you too!" Selene replied.

"What about us, Elio?" Allie or Maddie asked.

"Did you miss us too, Elio?" Maddie or Allie asked.

Elio chuckled and replied, "Of course I missed you guys too!"

"Oh, come on, Elio," Shauna suddenly said as the tan-skinned woman rolled her eyes. "You guys all talked to each other on the phone yesterday!"

"But we haven't seen each other since Christmas!" Elio exclaimed, puffing his cheeks out in an adorable pout. "And Daddy's always so busy!"

"Well, you know your Daddy's job," Shauna replied, smiling. "He's a researcher; he's got lots of work to do."

Meanwhile, it was Bonnie's turn to greet Yancy. "It's so good to see you in person again, Yancy!" the woman greeted. "How's my favorite niece in the whole wide world?"

"I'm alright, Auntie Bonnie..." Yancy replied bashfully as she returned the hug.

"Uhhhhh...hello, Auntie Bonnie?" Selene said, sweat-dropping as she tugged desperately at Bonnie's pants. "I'm right here, you know..."

"Oh, don't worry, Yancy." Bonnie smiled and picked up the young girl. "You're my favorite niece as well." Then, her smile became crafty as she redirected her focus on Yancy. "By the way, Yancy...did you confess to him yet...?"

Yancy's face became as pink as her hair. "W-Wh-Wh- _Wha_?!" she stuttered.

"Yeah, big sis Yancy," Selene piped up. She looked up at her older sister with a crafty expression of her own. "Did you tell Natey yet?"

Yancy's face became redder and redder with every second, and she struggled to form words. "I-I-I... I-I... I, uh, I-"

"Tell me what?"

A group of Trainers approached Selene, Yancy, Bonnie, and the twins. Selene was quick to recognize them as Yancy's friends: twins Nate and Rosa Gray, Nate's rival Hugh, Allie and Maddie's older cousins Dash and Finn, Shauna's daughter Savannah, Millefeui, siblings Benji and Nali, siblings Mackenzie and Tyler, Constance, and Lane. Yancy's face reached its reddest point as soon as she laid her eyes on Nate.

"N-N-Nothing, N-Nate!" the pink-haired Performer stuttered, as the brown-haired teenage Trainer looked on at her.

"She loves y-" Selene began, but Yancy covered her mouth before she could complete the sentence.

"She meant to say she loves Showcases so much, that's all!"

"Oh!" Nate replied. Then, he smiled and raised a determined fist. "Well, when you grow up, I'm sure you'll be a great Performer, Selene! Just like your sister!"

Yancy blushed at the praise, while Selene gave her sister a dissatisfied look as she replied, "Thanks, I guess..."

Unbeknownst to Nate, literally _everyone else_ in the group was giving Yancy the same dissatisfied look. Bonnie couldn't believe it was just like twenty years ago: Serena's crush on Ash was just as obvious, and yet everyone BUT the subject of that crush caught on to it almost immediately. Really, what were the odds of that being transferred over to the next generation?

"What's this I hear about loving Showcases so much?" a new voice asked curiously.

An older Clemont approached the group, followed by Grace, Meyer, Tierno, Trevor, Calem, Miette, Sawyer, and Nini.

"I-I-It's nothing, Uncle Clemont!" Yancy exclaimed, waving her hands in dismissal.

"Oh, really...?" Miette replied, a familiar twinkle present in her eye. "It doesn't sound like nothing, Yancy. You know, Millefeui and your Aunt Bonnie have been telling me some _interesting_ stories..."

"Oh, they're interesting alright, Mom!" Millefeui said, the twinkle in her eye matching that of her mother's.

"THERE'S NOTHING GOING ON, AUNTIE MIETTE!" Yancy shrieked so loudly that her voice cracked.

"Ah, just like the good ole days..." Shauna remarked, chuckling alongside the others.

Before Yancy could retort, the door to the VIP booth opened, and a redheaded woman stuck her head into the room.

"Yancy, Rosa, Savannah, Millefeui, Nali, and Mackenzie?" she asked.

"That's us," Rosa replied.

"The Master Class Showcase is about to begin in 30 minutes. You are to report to the dressing booth."

"Alright!" Bonnie exclaimed. "It begins!"

"Yeah!" Yancy replied, forgetting all about the teasing and looking at Rosa, Savannah, Millefeui, Nali, and Mackenzie. "May the best Performer win, girls!"

"May the best Performer win!" the others replied all at once.

While Rosa had one last exchange with Nate and Hugh, as did Savannah, Millefeui, Nali, and Mackenzie with their respective parents, Yancy took a deep breath out of nervousness. Then, she instinctively knelt down so she could be at the same level as Selene.

"Wish me luck," the pink-haired girl said as she ruffled her younger sister's hair.

"Huh?" Selene tilted her head curiously. "Pichu and I already gave you two good-luck charms."

Yancy giggled. "Then I'm gonna need a third one. Third time's the charm, after all."

"Oh. Okay!" Selene kissed her older sister in the cheek. "Good luck, big sis Yancy!"

"Pichu pichu!" Pichu squeaked in support.

Yancy giggled even more and hugged Selene. "Ohhhhh, sometimes I wish you'll never grow up!" she squealed.

"Huh...?" Selene replied obliviously, tilting her head adorably yet again. However, Yancy did not pursue the matter any further, for she just noticed Nate approaching their position.

"N-N-Nate!" Yancy exclaimed, standing up, her face pink again.

"I just wanted to wish you the best of luck, Yancy!" Nate replied, flashing his pink-haired friend a confident, optimistic smile, as well as a thumbs-up. "I know you'll do just great out there!"

Yancy's face became redder. "Th-Th-Tha-Thank you, N-N-Na-Na-Nate..."

"Wow, Nate," Rosa piped up, smirking teasingly at her twin brother. "Aren't you gonna wish _me_ the best of luck?"

Nate sighed and frowned in annoyance. "Of course, Rosa," he replied. "I just wished you luck a few seconds ago. Aren't you supposed to be on your way to the dressing booth or something?"

Rosa rolled her eyes. "Yes, yes, of course..."

She then followed Savannah, Millefeui, Nali, and Mackenzie out of the VIP booth. Yancy prepared to follow them when Selene got an idea and tugged at her older sister's skirt.

"Big sis Yancy?" she asked.

"Yes, Selene?" Yancy replied, looking down at the girl.

"Can I go with you into the dressing booth?"

The teenager blinked. "How come?"

"I wanna know what it looks like!"

"Yeah, I wanna know too, I wanna know too!" squeaked Allie or Maddie.

"Me too, me too!" Maddie or Allie added.

"Come on, big sis Yancy, pretty please!" Selene pleaded.

"Pichu pichu-pi!" Pichu squeaked in agreement.

"Dedenne!" Dedenne also squeaked. Both rodent Pokémon had the most adorable pleading expressions ever on their faces.

"Oh, I'm sorry, girls," Yancy replied. "Those are authorized for Pokémon Performers only. Maybe when you guys become Performers someday, then you'll know what a Showcase dressing room looks like." Yancy patted her sister for one last time. "I gotta go now, Selene. I can't afford to be late for the Showcase. I'll see you on the stage!"

She gave her younger sister one last grin before hugging Bonnie and then rushing out of the VIP booth, prompting the rest of the group to divide into smaller groups and engage in their own conversations. As for Selene, she watched after her older sister with a glum expression, as did Allie and Maddie; the three girls really wanted to see all the action up-close and personal, not to mention she wanted to interact with her sister and idol more. Sensing her sadness and disappointment, Nate knelt down and patted the girl's shoulder.

"Don't worry, Selene," he said kindly. "It's just as Yancy said. You'll get to see everything a Performer does one day, when you're older."

"Awww." Selene huffed in dissatisfaction and kicked at the floor a little. "I hate being little. I wanna have my own Pokémon and be a Pokémon Performer now!"

Nate chuckled and looked out of the booth window in reminiscence. "Ahhhhh, I remember saying the same thing when I was your age. I couldn't wait to become a Pokémon Trainer."

"You got that right," Hugh said, chuckling from the sidelines. "You kept moaning and griping about it for years!"

"Heh heh heh. Yeah, I guess I can't argue with those feelings." Then, Nate stood up. "But I know something that'll keep you preoccupied."

Selene looked up at him. "And what's that, Natey?"

"Well, it all depends." Nate gave her the same optimistic, confident grin. "What kind of ice cream flavor do you like the most?"

* * *

**"YUMMY!"**

"PICHU!"

Selene, Elio, Allie, and Maddie all rejoiced as they licked their ice-cream cones at a table in the middle of the Battle Maison food court. Allie and Maddie both ordered orange sherbet (since it reminded them of Dedenne, obviously), Elio ordered rocky-road, and Selene ordered vanilla. Accompanying them were Pichu, Dedenne, Nate, Hugh, Finn, Constance, and Lane; the Trainers bought their own ice-cream cones.

"Thank you for ordering us ice cream, Natey!" Selene chirped ceremoniously before taking a large, ravenous bite out of one of her ice-cream scoops.

"Pichu-pi!" added Pichu.

"You're very welcome, Selene," Nate replied as he ruffled her hair. He then took a lick of his ice cream, which happened to be a vanilla-and-chocolate mix.

"You know," Hugh piped up, "it's a shame Ash won't be here in another few minutes." He clenched his unoccupied fist. "I'd really like to battle him and Greninja, show him how far Samurott and I have gotten."

"You wanna battle him _now_?" asked Finn, confused at such an admission. "But we're not in Lumiose City. And how many Symbols do you have again, Hugh?"

"I know, I know, I'm still working on my fourth." Hugh then took out a Poké Ball and stared deeply at it. "But Samurott and I have been practicing hard since the last time we all met. I'd like to know how much that practice has paid off."

"I've been practicing a lot too," Nate replied, smiling determinedly. "I think Emboar and I have our power down just fine now!"

"Yeah, says the guy who couldn't time his synchronizations just right and fainted five times in a row the day before yesterday," Constance deadpanned, prompting Nate to frown in embarrassment.

"Well, you know," the brown-haired Trainer retorted, trying to compensate for that information, "it's always a work in progress."

"Yeah, right," Hugh remarked, smirking. "A work in progress."

"Of course it is!"

"What about Rosa and Serperior, Hugh?" Lane asked. "What do you think her progress is?"

The Qwilfish-haired teenager shrugged and replied, "I have no idea. We haven't managed to speak to each other since we all left Plaisant."

"Knowing her," commented Nate, "we'll find out during the Showcase."

"Why?" Selene suddenly asked, looking up at the teenager. "What's Rosie gonna do in the Showcase?"

Nate flinched a little, as if expecting to hear a distant outburst from Rosa over using that nickname, before replying, "Oh, it's gonna be a surprise, Selene. Watch and you'll find out."

"Oh, okay."

"I hate surprises," Elio suddenly said.

"Why not, Elio?" Allie or Maddie asked.

"Surprises are awesome!" Maddie or Allie added. "You never see them coming..."

"And that's what makes it a surprise!" completed the other twin happily.

"Nenene!" squeaked Dedenne.

"But what if it's a surprise you don't want?" Elio asked.

"There's no such thing as a bad surprise, Elio," Selene replied. "How can you be surprised if it's something bad? Mommy calls that du, um, diga, uh...uhhhhh..."

"Disappointment," Evelyn said.

"Disappointment! Thank you, Evelyn!" Selene remained smiling for a moment before exclaiming in surprise, "Evelyn?!"

The blue-haired, blue-eyed teenage girl had just approached the group a few seconds ago, silently as usual. She stared at Nate with a reddening face, twiddled her fingers nervously, and greeted, "H-H-Hi, Nate..."

"Hi, Evelyn!" Nate replied, smiling as he stood up from the table. "You've already changed into your Showcase outfit!"

Evelyn giggled and twirled around to show it off to the group. It consisted of a blue, rose-shaped top hate, black elbow-length gloves with blue collars, a blue-striped gown-like dress, black knee-length socks, and white heels with golden circles on them.

"My mom and sisters picked this out for me recently," she replied. "D-D-Do you l-l-like it, N-Nate?"

"Well, of course! It looks good on you!" Failing to notice the deadpan looks everyone else in his group gave him, as well as Evelyn's deepening blush, the brown-haired Trainer continued, "So are you going up first?"

"I'm in the second group." Evelyn then started fanning herself with her palm. "I'm very nervous, actually. In addition to all those Freestyle Performances, I'm going up against Dana and Nita! My own sisters! And then there's Morgan..."

Her voice trailed off as she thought about her eldest sister, prompting Nate to say assuredly, "Don't worry, Evelyn. We're all cheering for you, me especially! And I'm sure your sisters won't hold it against you if you beat them all."

"Y-You think so?"

"Of course!" Nate smiled optimistically. "They're your family, after all! They can't hate you for something like this!"

"Well...maybe Dana..."

"Then I'll talk to her!"

Evelyn's eyes widened in shock at the scenario. "N-No! P-Pl-Please don't do that! I-I'll do it, I'll t-t-talk to her!"

Nate blinked in confusion before replying, "O-Okay... If you say so, Evelyn..." Then, he smiled again and gave her a thumbs-up. "Well, good luck, Evelyn!"

"Th-Thanks, Nate..."

Finally, Nate noticed Evelyn's red face. "What's the matter, Evelyn?" he asked, his voice filled with concern for his friend. "You look really red. Are you sick or something?"

"It figures..." Hugh, Constance, and Lane all deadpanned at once.

"A-Ac-Act-Actually..." Evelyn stuttered, her gaze intense, "I-I w-wanted t-to g-gi-give you s-something. F-For luck."

"For luck?" repeated Nate, who was confused yet again. "Luck for what?"

Refusing to waste any more time, Evelyn lunged forward and captured Nate's lips with her own. Hugh, Finn, Constance, and Lane were all left flabbergasted by this move; Allie, Maddie, and Dedenne all swooned happily at the budding romance before them; and Elio was looking away while struggling to hold in the contents of his stomach. As for Selene, she let the scene sink in for a moment before...

"GET OFF HIM!" she shrieked in outrage.

Surprised at the outburst, Evelyn broke the kiss, still blushing in embarrassment. "I-I'm sorry-" she began.

"GET AWAY FROM HIM, EVELYN!" Selene squealed, standing up and getting between the Trainer and the Performer. "NO ONE CAN HAVE NATEY EXCEPT BIG SIS YANCY! NO ONE!"

"PICHU-PI!" Pichu cried angrily.

"Except Yancy...?" Nate replied; the poor oblivious teenager was confused out of his mind. "W-Why?"

"Because-"

"YANCY!" Rosa's voice suddenly called out.

There was a quick blur of white and pink, and Evelyn squealed helplessly as she was being throttled by a red-faced Yancy. She was still dressed in her normal clothing, so she apparently had to leave the dressing booth early to attend to something quickly. Everyone gasped in shock, except for Allie and Maddie, who were already taking bets on who would triumph in this duel over Nate.

"Y-Ya- _Yancy_?!" Nate exclaimed, while Hugh, Finn, Constance, and Lane all stood up from the table in surprise.

"What. Are. You. _Doing_. EVELYN?!" snarled Yancy, ignoring her crush. Every word was punctuated with a new shake given to Evelyn.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, Yancy!" Evelyn sobbed.

"How could you do that?! How could you do this to me?! You know about my own feelings! And yet you're going around smooching Nate without a care in the world!"

"I couldn't help it, Yancy!" Poor Evelyn was feeling the might of Yancy's anger and suffering for it; she started to sob and she was sobbing hard. "You know how he is! He's so helpful and encouraging and charming and cute- EEK!"

"GAH!" Yancy screamed in outrage as she started shaking Evelyn even more strongly.

Selene couldn't believe what she was seeing. She knew Yancy would be extremely upset if she found Nate, her crush, kissing another girl, albeit unintentionally. But she didn't expect her to be _that_ enraged. In fact, she had never seen her older sister so angry before. She was usually a calm, controlled person. If she was confronted by an upsetting person or situation, Yancy would usually run away and complain about it later, if need be.

Seeing such rage coming from Yancy was pretty scary for her, actually. She could see the rage glowing on her sister like a dark aura...

Meanwhile, Rosa had just caught up to Yancy and managed to pry her off of Evelyn.

"Yancy, stop it, you're scaring her!" the brown-haired girl cried. She then turned towards Evelyn. "Oh my goodness, are you okay, Evelyn?"

Selene couldn't help but feel bad for Evelyn now. The blue-haired girl looked like a mess emotionally; her face was flushed, her body was trembling, and her eyes were glimmering with tears. Not to mention her shirt was scuffled up nastily thanks to Yancy's throttling.

"Hey, what'd you do that for, Yancy?!" Nate exclaimed, affronted by this latest development. By this point, Yancy had recovered from her outrage, and she now appeared shocked by her actions.

"E-Evelyn," Yancy said in disbelief. "I-I'm-"

But she didn't get to say anything. Without saying a word, Evelyn ran off, clearly trying to hold back her tears in the process. Selene watched her go for a moment; then, before anyone could stop her, she ran off after the blue-haired girl. She may not have liked other girls making a move on her older sister's crush, but she also didn't like it whenever other people or Pokémon got sad or upset. After all, her mother always taught her to prioritize making other people smile, and it was just in Selene's nature to try and make things better for everyone.

"Evelyn!" Selene called. "Evelyn, wait up, please!"

"Pichu pichuuuuu!" Pichu called as well.

However, the blue-haired girl ignored them and continued running. They ran out of the food court and made multiple turns, running down multiple hallways. After a couple of minutes of running, Evelyn finally stopped in the middle of the Battle Maison's east wing, which appeared to be utterly abandoned. Selene stopped right behind her, just as Evelyn continued weeping.

"Evelyn?" Selene asked. She walked up to the older girl and tugged at her skirt. "I'm sorry about Yancy."

"It's okay, Selene," Evelyn replied between sobs. She suddenly knelt down and hugged Selene tightly, much to the little girl's surprise; Pichu had to hop off her shoulder to avoid being accidentally knocked down. "I should be the one who's apologizing. I should never, ever have upset your sister like that! I know she likes Nate very much, but...but...he's so cool and supportive and understanding and...and...and...I couldn't help it!"

"Natey _is_ pretty cool..." Selene admitted. "I'd like to have him as a big brother."

Evelyn became rigid for a moment, and she stopped crying. Eventually, she sighed heavily, broke the hug, and looked into Selene's eyes.

"How do you do it, Selene?" she asked.

"Do what?" replied Selene, tilting her head.

"Be a little sister?"

"I...I don't know... I gotta have bigger brothers and sisters, I guess-"

"No, not that. I meant...how do you deal with having an older sister and brother who are so good at the things they do?"

Selene shrugged. "I don't know. I would be pretty happy for them, I guess."

"And how do you deal with being compared to them all the time?"

"Compared to them? Well...I don't know. How do you get compared to an older sister or brother?"

Evelyn sighed sadly. "It's okay, Selene, you don't have to answer that. Maybe I should ask Nita later on..." Then, her blue eyes widened in remembrance. "Oh, my goodness! The Showcase!"

Selene's eyes widened as well. "We gotta get back!"

"Pichu-pi!" Pichu squeaked in agreement as she hopped back on her unofficial owner's shoulder.

"Yeah, but..." Evelyn looked around worriedly. "Which way is the way back...?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here we have a LOT of exposition to cover! Not to mention we're starting to know about the incident that sends Selene back in time!
> 
> First thing's first, the identities of Ash and Serena's future children are different. To make sure everyone's clear on the names, here, the children are called, from oldest to youngest: Yancy, Red, and Selene. Yancy is the non-playable character from the "Pokémon Black and White 2" games, who eventually falls in love with the player character if you choose Nate; everyone knows who Red is; and as for Selene, she's supposed to be based on the female player character of the "Pokémon Sun and Moon" and "Pokémon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon" games. I made the decision to not use the original children from my old fic (Sarah, Alex, Jenna, and Aaron) because I wanted to use Selene, Yancy, and Red as characters in a fic of mine and thought they'd fit the bill as Ash and Serena's future children.
> 
> As for the other characters you saw in the future segment, I obviously took Nate, Rosa, and Hugh directly from the "Pokémon Black and White 2" games as well. Platinum, who was mentioned at one point in the chapter, is meant to be Dawn's future daughter, and is based on Platinum Berlitz from the "Pokémon Adventures" manga. Evelyn and her sisters Morgan, Dana, and Nita are taken directly from the Battle Chatelaine sisters of the "Pokémon X and Y" games. Elio is based on the male player character from "Pokémon Sun and Moon". Finn, Constance, and Lane are all based on common NPCs from the games: Schoolboy, Ace Trainer, and Backpacker. In addition, I hope you'll recognize Lane as a character from the original fic; I obviously rebooted his character as well and fit him into the future segment.
> 
> Why did I use these characters instead of the ones from my original fic, you ask? Well, I can't tell you the answer yet, but I will say that the "Pokémon Black and White 2" animated trailer is a huge source of inspiration for me right now. If you don't know what the heck I'm talking about, Google the trailer on YouTube. You can't miss it.
> 
> Well, hope you enjoyed this chapter! TheCartoonFanatic01 is out. PEACE!


	7. Beware the Pokémon Poachers

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Before we begin with this chapter, I would like to offer a quick explanation as to why I chose Yancy to be one of Ash and Serena's children, which I know is a bit of an out-of-left-field choice for a character. First off, I understand that Yancy may not look like either of them, judging by her official artwork, but I've actually Googled fanart of her and I saw some images where her hairstyle was more strikingly similar to that of short-haired Serena. Google it if you don't believe me.
> 
> Secondly, I've always believed TransceiverShipping (Nate/Yancy) to be quite reminiscent of AmourShipping after reading transcripts of her conversations with the male player character in the "Pokémon Black and White 2" games. As a result, I've always thought it would be perfect as the AmourShipping of the next generation of anime protagonists, if the anime ever comes down to that.
> 
> As for Yancy having pink hair in spite of no one in Ash's or Serena's sides of the family having that same trait, well...that's actually a bit important later on, so I won't spoil anything just yet. ;)
> 
> Okay, enough rambling! Onward with the chapter! ENJOY!

"How about we ask that man over there?" Selene asked, pointing further down one of the hallways. "Maybe he knows the way back!"

"Pichu-pi!" Pichu squeaked, nodding her head in agreement.

Evelyn followed the direction of Selene's index finger and immediately saw the person she was talking about. It was a man who had a muscular build; sharp, beady eyes; and blond hair cut in a buzz-cut. He was also wearing military-style clothing consisting of a tight-fitting, white tank-top; a light, jungle-camouflage jacket; jungle-camouflage pants with a thick brown belt; dark-brown combat boots; and dark sunglasses that were on top of his head at the moment. This man was several yards away, out of earshot, but Evelyn could clearly see the large, conspicuous steel cage in his hand.

"H-H-Him...?" Evelyn asked, sounding suspicious and unsure about the idea.

"Yeah, him!" Selene exclaimed in response. "Come on, Evelyn!"

The little girl took the Performer's hand, and both girls ran down the hallway. But before Selene could call out to the stranger, he had already opened a door and gone inside. The duo ran up to the door before it could close all the way, and Selene caught its knob.

"I r-r- _really_ don't know a-about this, S-Se-Selene..." the blue-haired Performer stuttered apprehensively, before Selene could open the door for the both of them.

"Aw, come on, Evelyn!" Selene replied cheerfully, looking up at her older friend and smiling from ear to ear. "Lighten up and have a lil' adventure!"

"Pichu pichu-pi, pichu-pichu!" added Pichu.

"B-B-But S-Selene-"

"Come on, we're just asking for directions! It can't be that hard to do!"

And with that, Selene opened the door, which led into a small hallway with another door, made of glass, at the other end. Both girls ventured down the hallway, with Evelyn fearfully looking back at the door as it closed on them. Once they approached the other door, Selene opened it, but she stopped after it was ajar for an inch when she saw something through the glass.

At the other end of the door was a small outside garden, and there was a group of people standing there. She couldn't make out their physical descriptions since the glass was too opaque, but she could definitely hear their voices.

"I thought there were supposed to be eight of you," one voice said; the speaker was most likely an older, refined woman.

"There are," replied another voice, that of a younger woman. "But we always leave at least one person back at the base just in case."

"What? You do not trust me?"

"We at the EHS are the most-wanted criminals out there. We've had clients who were undercover cops; we make sure we account for every possible scenario."

Selene and Evelyn both held back gasps of shock. The EHS, or the Eight-Headed Seviper, was a group of eight Pokémon Poachers wanted all across the world by every law enforcement agency in the book. Each member was a highly skilled Poacher in his or her own right, with a certain set of skills; together, they were responsible for capturing hundreds of Pokémon, common and rare alike, and selling them to private clients or in black-market auctions for high prices. To call them bad news was a bit of an understatement.

"T-T-Th-The E-E-EHS is here?" Evelyn whispered. "I-In the B-B-Battle Maison?"

"Wh-What do we do?" asked Selene.

"Pichu pichu..." Pichu whispered, her small body trembling with fear.

"W-W-We gotta go warn Nate! Come on!"

"Sounds understandable," the first voice suddenly said. "So, where's my prize?"

"Right here, Ms. Diable-" another voice replied; this time, the speaker was a man with a stern, powerful voice.

" _Countess_ Diable..."

"Right. _Countess_ Diable..."

Selene and Evelyn saw a shadow approaching the door, but to their relief, the man didn't open it. Instead, Selene saw him pick up the steel cage she saw earlier, which had been lying close by the doorway; to her surprise, she saw that it contained an immobile Zigzagoon.

"Here it is, ma'am," the man said.

"Oh, do not play games with me," replied the older woman viciously. "I _specifically_ asked for-"

"With all due respect, ma'am, it's not everyday you get to walk past a security checkpoint with a Celebi-" Selene and Evelyn's eyes widened at this revelation. "-in hand, let alone one in a cage. So I disguised it."

"Really...?"

"Yes. Here's proof."

Selene and Evelyn heard a Poké Ball unleashing something, followed by a vicious growl and then a softer voice fearfully moaning, "Biiiii..." Evelyn covered her mouth in horror, while Selene suddenly became angry. So there WAS a Celebi in that cage!

"Well..." Diable replied with disappointment, "I did not anticipate having to take this ridiculous costume off of it, but I suppose it'll have to do. Right, then. You've done well. So, tell me, what was your price again?"

"Ten million Poké Dollars," the younger woman replied unflinchingly.

"I thought it was five million..."

"It was until that little critter made it extra-difficult for us to capture it."

"It was a real pain in the butt," yet another voice said; this time, the speaker was a woman with a high-pitched, giggly voice.

"No, no deal," the first voice said. "I was promised five million, Kay, and I'm only paying five million."

"Well," the second voice, very likely Kay, replied, "I warned you that deals can always change, Countess. Be lucky we didn't triple or quadruple the original price, because we spent nearly half of a year trying to track that thing down and pinning it where we want to pin it. Now, just give us the ten million, and you can have your Celebi."

"Madam Diable," said the voice of an older gentleman, "I advise you to do what they request of you. They worked hard and _very_ long to fulfill your request. Do it and they shall be on their way."

"Well, it sounds like _someone_ is actually speaking some sense here," the stern man said gruffly.

Selene and Evelyn heard Diable huff angrily and reply, "Oh, very well. You may have your ten million, Kay. Just give me that Celebi!"

Selene couldn't take it anymore. Without thinking it over, she burst out of the hallway and hollered furiously, "LEAVE CELEBI ALONE!"

"PICHU PICHU-PI!" Pichu squealed; the Tiny Mouse Pokémon was just as outraged as her unofficial owner.

...

"S-S- _Selene_!" Evelyn whispered desperately through clenched teeth. She was also exposed to the criminals, but she couldn't budge a muscle out of fear for her own safety and that of Selene.

"Well, well, well," said one of the poachers. He was a copper-haired man with an Australian accent, wearing tan explorer clothes, complete with a hat with a mesh face-mask meant to protect him from Bug-type Pokémon. "What in the world do we have here, Matt?"

"Oh, I dunno, Hector," replied another poacher, a hulking, muscular, brown-haired man with dark skin and wearing a torn blue wet-suit. "Uhhhhh...whaddaya think, Inezia?"

"It looks like a girl," said a third poacher. She was a woman so petite one would mistake her for a young girl, with curly, messy blonde hair bearing a gray stripe vaguely shaped like a lightning bolt; she was also wearing an overlarge white lab-coat and a pair of circular glasses that reminded Selene of her Uncle Clemont's, though the lenses had squiggly marks on them. "Seven years and three months old, four feet and two inches-"

"Yes, yes, we know it's a girl, Inezia," interrupted a fourth poacher, a woman with blue eyes and bushy red-and-black-striped hair tied into a ponytail; she was wearing all-black clothing and also had deep-red eyeliner. Selene recognized her as the woman with the high-pitched, giggly voice.

At that moment, a fifth poacher stepped forward. He was bald and had sky-blue eyes, and he was also wearing a simple pinkish-red kimono. "Why, hello there, young lady," he said with a voice so calm and kind that it actually placated both Selene and Evelyn. "Are you lost?"

"Y-Yeah-" began Selene, before she remembered why she was here in the first place. "I-I mean, leave Celebi alone!"

"Ouch," the black-haired poacher said, sneering malevolently. "Your smooth tongue couldn't charm this little girl, Delos. Looks like you're losing your touch."

"Alright, enough of this nonsense," Kay said sternly, stepping forward. She was around Selene's parents' age, with chin-length green hair and eyes just as green, and she was wearing a futuristic green trench-coat with all-orange clothing underneath. "Seize this girl." She then glared at Evelyn. "And that girl too, make sure she doesn't get away!"

"Yes, Kay," replied the man with the stern voice.

Selene watched as the same man from further down the hallway stepped forward, flanked by a Trevenant. The Trevenant grabbed her and restrained her with one large arm. As for Evelyn, she struggled to make a decision, giving Delos enough time to send out a Medicham that held the blue-haired Performer in place with a tight Psychic.

"EEK!" Selene squealed. "P-Pi-Pichu, use Thunder Shock!"

The unrestrained Pichu hopped off Selene and prepared to use Thunder Shock on Parker and Trevenant. However, before she could, Delos's Medicham used its spare hand to restrain the Tiny Mouse Pokémon with another Psychic.

"PIIIII!" Pichu squeaked helplessly as she was lifted high into the air. Selene could only watch with horror as Medicham used Psychic to slam Pichu into the nearby wall, knocking her out.

"NO, PICHU!" screamed Selene, staring at her best friend as she fell to the ground. She then glared angrily at Kay. "YOU LET US GO RIGHT NOW! AND CELEBI TOO!"

Countess Diable chuckled heartily and stepped forward, revealing herself to Selene and Evelyn. Indeed, she was older, reminding Selene a little of her Auntie Aria's old teacher Palermo. She had cold gray eyes and strange hair: the right side was black with one white stripe, while the left side was white with one black stripe. She was also wearing a sleek, massive, whitish-golden fur-coat that looked like it was taken directly from a Ninetales's fur. This appearance reminded Selene of the main villain of one of her favorite cartoon movies, _A Long Hundred and One_ _Lillipup_.

"Why, I'm afraid not, my dear," Diable replied. "You see, you witnessed what some might call an illegal transaction, and I cannot let you or your friend meddle in this affair."

Selene narrowed her blue eyes at the older woman. "But Celebi is a rare and-and a, uh, a protected Pokémon! You're not supposed to own one, you old lady!"

Diable's eye twitched menacingly at the insult, but she managed to hold in her outrage. "Unfortunately, little one, I don't care. Celebi is a very important item in my quest and I intend to see it through to the very end." She turned to the older gentleman, an elderly man wearing a dark-blue suit. "Chalmers, take Celebi for me."

"Yes, ma'am," the gentleman replied. Flanked by four other men wearing black suits and dark sunglasses, he picked up the steel cage containing the disguised Celebi from the ground.

"NO!" screamed Selene. "YOU LET CELEBI GO NOW!"

"Hush up," the poacher named Parker snarled, just as Trevenant tightened its grip on Selene.

"Selene..." Evelyn moaned fearfully. The blue-haired teenage Performer desperately tried to move, but Medicham's Psychic grip on her was too strong. She inched her head towards Selene's Pichu, but was dismayed to find it still unconscious.

There was no one around to help them.

In contrast to Evelyn, however, Selene continued to angrily resist despite her predicament.

"You let Celebi go now," she repeated, "or you'll be sorry!"

"Ohhhhh, how very _scary_!" replied the black-haired poacher, pretending to sound frightened at the little girl's threat.

"I'm serious! My daddy's a Frontier Brain and he's very, very strong! When he finds out what's happened, he's gonna kick your sorry butts!"

"Your father's a Frontier Brain, huh...?" Kay said, now looking very interested. She approached Selene and leaned very close to her face. "Perhaps you'll actually be useful..."

"What're you saying, boss?" the black-haired poacher asked. She didn't seem too pleased by this sudden development... Then again, Selene noted that she didn't look too pleased about anything.

Kay ignored her colleague and shot a look at Parker. "Parker, put this girl to sleep. We'll be taking her with us. It looks like we're gonna be getting some extra money for today, ladies and gentlemen."

"What about this other girl, boss?" Delos asked, gesturing to Evelyn.

"Dispose of her."

"S-S-SELENE!" Evelyn screamed fearfully.

"EVELYN!" Selene screamed back as Parker procured a wet brown rag. She struggled even harder, but she was simply too young and little to break free from Trevenant. But before Parker could make a move with the rag...

"EMBOAR, USE FLAMETHROWER!" a familiar voice commanded courageously.

A stream of fire flew out from the hallway Selene and Evelyn came from, and it hit the ground beneath Chalmers, knocking him down and out for the count. The cage containing Celebi clattered to the ground, and Selene could've sworn she heard something metallic breaking, but the others didn't mind it, fortunately.

"Where'd that came from?!" exclaimed Matt.

"SAMUROTT, ICE BEAM!" another familiar voice ordered harshly.

A light-blue beam struck Delos's Medicham and froze it in its tracks, allowing Evelyn to be released from its Psychic grip. She then watched as several people rushed into the garden: Yancy, Nate, Rosa, Hugh, Finn, Constance, Lane, and (to her surprise) her sisters Morgan, Dana, and Nita. They were all accompanied by their Pokémon: Yancy's White Flower Florges, Nate's Emboar, Rosa's Serperior, Hugh's Samurott, Finn's Lucario, Constance's Swellow, Lane's Linoone, Morgan's Sawsbuck (which was currently in its Summer Form), Dana's Whimsicott, and Nita's Wigglytuff.

"BIG SIS YANCY!" Selene cried happily.

"Oh, no!" Kay snarled in annoyance. "Not you kids again!"

"FLORGES, USE MOONBLAST!" Yancy commanded loudly.

Florges started gathering power from the faraway Moon; then, after a couple of seconds, a pink sphere of energy formed from its mouth, and the Garden Pokémon fired it at Parker and Trevenant's direction. The Pokémon Poacher and the Elder Tree Pokémon both managed to dodge the pink sphere, but the latter accidentally let go of Selene in the process. This allowed the young girl to run away from his reach.

Immediately, Diable, all seven poachers, and her four bodyguards sent out their Pokémon, and a fierce battle ensued in the garden. Yancy and Florges battled Inezia and her Electivire, Nate and Emboar battled Kay and her Shiny Salamence, Rosa and Serperior battled the black-haired poacher and her Zoroark, Hugh and Samurott battled Matt and his Feraligatr, Finn and Lucario battled Hector and his Pinsir, Morgan and Sawsbuck battled Diable and her two Furfrou (one of which was sporting a Matron Trim and the other a La Reine Trim), and Lane and Linoone battled Delos and his Medicham and Solrock. As for Evelyn, Constance, Dana, Nita, and their Pokémon, they all battled Diable's four bodyguards and their Mightyena and Houndoom. Selene had never seen such intense battling in person before.

But now that the villains were all distracted, Selene started to move towards the cage containing Celebi. But before she could even get close, she heard a voice whisper, "Selene! Over here!"

Looking behind her, Selene saw Elio, Allie, Maddie, and Dedenne at the doorway. They were all signaling her to come to them, but she shook her head and pointed towards Celebi's cage. They shook their heads back at her and continued signaling at her to come to them, but Selene refused and continued walking towards the cage.

"Don't you worry, Celebi!" she called. "I'm coming!"

Upon approaching the cage, Selene noticed that its top had been broken after being dropped. Kneeling down, the seven-year-old struggled to fully yank it open, but didn't have much luck. As she continued to struggle, inside the cage, the Zigzagoon disguise finally fell off of Celebi, and the Time Travel Pokémon opened its eyes to look at its savior. Upon seeing how hard Selene was trying to free it, Celebi's eyes glowed light-blue, and the metal top suddenly became easier for the girl to yank open. Once she managed to force it open all the way, Selene picked up the Time Travel Pokémon.

"There you go," Selene said, giving Celebi an optimistic smile. "I've got you!"

"Biiiii..." Celebi moaned, trembling slightly.

"SELENE!" Elio screamed, fear present in his voice.

A large shadow suddenly enveloped Selene; the girl looked behind her, and her eyes widened in terror as Parker towered over her, flanked by Trevenant and a Chesnaught. She quickly realized that they were the only ones who were not locked in battle with someone.

"You should've learned by now that it's bad to take things that don't belong to you," Parker snarled; the poacher was cracking his knuckles.

"Celebi doesn't belong to anyone!" Selene snapped loudly and defiantly.

"No, it belongs to Countess Diable. She bought it, she earned it."

"Not like that!"

Trevenant and Chesnaught stepped forward, just as Parker growled with irritation, "Don't give me an excuse to hurt you, little girl..."

"Nenenenene..." a familiar voice squeaked angrily. "Nene... **NEEEEEEE!** "

Dedenne jumped out of nowhere, its cheeks crackling with electricity. Before Trevenant could react, the tiny Antenna Pokémon rubbed its electric cheeks against Trevenant's own, electrifying it. Also, because it was in very close proximity to Trevenant, Chesnaught wound up being shocked by Dedenne's Nuzzle attack as well. Both Pokémon yowled in pain as the yellow electricity coursed through their bodies.

"YAY, DEDENNE!" Selene cheered.

However, to her horror, once the electricity subsided, Chesnaught and Trevenant did not look affected in the slightest. Growling with annoyance, both Grass-type Pokémon shook off the electricity and stared down at Dedenne, which sweat-dropped nervously at its epic failure.

"Take care of that stinking rodent at once, Trevenant," Parker ordered nonchalantly. The Elder Tree Pokémon promptly kicked Dedenne, sending it into the nearby wall.

" **NEEE!** " Dedenne squealed in pain as it fell to the ground.

"DEDENNE!" Selene, Elio, Allie, and Maddie all screamed in concern. The twins both ran up to the Antenna Pokémon's fallen body so they could check on it, while Elio ran up to Parker, Chesnaught, and Trevenant with a look of utmost fury.

"YOU ARE A BAD MAN!" Elio cried. "IT'S TIME TO TEACH YOU A LESSON!"

To Selene's surprise, the boy pulled out a Poké Ball and threw it, unleashing a Venusaur; Selene recognized it as her Auntie Shauna's. It let out a bellow of a roar, prompting both Chesnaught and Trevenant to take a couple of steps backward in apprehension.

"Do not back down!" Parker chided. "Chesnaught, use Needle Arm! Trevenant, use Wood Hammer!"

Thorn-like spikes emerged from Chesnaught's left arm, and the Spiny Armor Pokémon charged towards Venusaur. As for Trevenant, its right claw became surrounded with a green aura that took the shape of a stump, and it also charged for Venusaur.

"Venusaur, use Solar Beam!" Elio ordered.

The inside of the flower on Venusaur's back started glowing white as it gathered light from the Sun overhead. Then, the entire back-based flower glowed white, and Venusaur promptly fired a white beam from it, directing it towards the incoming Chesnaught and Trevenant. The Solar Beam struck both Pokémon, its force also knocking Parker down to the ground. With the poacher and his Pokémon all incapacitated for the moment, Elio turned towards Selene with a look of urgency in his eye.

"RUN, SELENE!" he cried. "RUN FOR IT!"

Selene didn't waste any time arguing with him. She first ran for her fallen Pichu, picked her up, and then hopped over the small iron fence. As she landed on the ground after a short drop, she heard Parker shouting, "SHE'S GETTING AWAY WITH THE TARGET!"

" **NOOOOOOOOOO!** " Diable screeched furiously. "GET MY CELEBI BACK TO ME!"

"Whatever you say, old lady," the black-haired poacher replied.

Diable finally lost her patience. "I'M NOT AN OLD LADY! WHO DO YOU THINK YOU'RE CALLING AN **OLD LADY**?! I'M PAYING YOU AN UNJUSTIFIABLY LARGE AMOUNT OF MONEY FOR THIS, YOU KNOW?!"

"I gotta hide..." Selene said to herself. She looked around, but couldn't find another door back into the Battle Maison. So, without a second thought, she started sprinting towards Kiloude Forest, which was several yards away.

She only ran a couple of yards when she heard a vicious roar. Looking behind her, the girl saw Kay and Salamence in hot pursuit from the air; Delos and Medicham were riding with Kay. On the ground, Parker, Chesnaught, and Trevenant were running after her, followed closely by the as-of-yet unnamed black-haired poacher and her Zoroark. Selene gasped and started running faster.

"SALAMENCE, USE HYPER BEAM!" Kay ordered from above. Salamence roared before firing a beam of raw power towards Selene. It missed, but it was close enough to nearly knock the seven-year-old to the ground.

"SOMEONE HELP ME!" Selene called desperately as she managed to make it into the forest.

As she continued running, Selene heard several forest Pokémon scurrying away from her. Eventually, she stopped and hid behind one of the many tree trunks within sight. After catching her breath, she took a peek from her shelter and saw Parker, the black-haired poacher, and their Pokémon advancing through the forest, hot on her trail.

"Fan out," Parker ordered. "She couldn't have gotten far. Not with those stubby legs of hers."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," the other poacher replied nonchalantly. "I got it, Dad."

Selene heard Parker sighed with irritation. "Need I remind you that we have a ten million Poké Dollar check at stake here, Zora? Not to mention the heightening possibility of six months' work being flushed down the drain?!"

"Alright, alright, I got it, Parker! Yeesh!"

Selene withdrew her head and looked down at Celebi and Pichu to check on their statuses. The Tiny Mouse Pokémon was still injured and unconscious, while Celebi was holding on tight to her shirt. Selene's gaze softened, and in that moment, she started to feel a lot like her mother whenever she was comforting her.

"It's okay, Celebi, it's okay," she whispered softly to the Time Travel Pokémon. "Everything's gonna be okay. I'll keep you safe."

"Biiiii..." Celebi moaned, looking up hopefully at the seven-year-old girl.

A second later, Salamence's roar pierced the air. Selene looked up and saw the Dragon Pokémon flying directly over the treetops. Kay, Delos, and Medicham were looking over its side and down into the forest, searching for any signs of her or Celebi. Fortunately, they didn't appear to have seen her, and when they flew out of sight, Selene laid low in the many ferns and started sneaking away.

"Come out, come out, wherever you aaaaare!" Zora called out in a sadistic singsong voice. Selene shivered a little at the black-haired poacher's tone.

"She's not going to answer, you know..." Parker sighed out.

"Well, I might as well get her insides pumpin'! That way she'll give herself away in her fear!"

"There are more efficient ways to accomplish that."

"Like what?"

Parker was deathly silent for a moment; then, he replied, "She's definitely not far from us, and she's no longer running. Someone as small and weak as her couldn't run a marathon. She's most likely hiding somewhere in the growth within a ten-yard radius."

Selene gulped. She had no inkling of math whatsoever, but that _did_ sound close.

"Whaddaya suggest we do about it, then?" Zora asked.

"We flush her out like _this_. Chesnaught, Trevenant, attack everything in sight!"

In response, Chesnaught and Trevenant started attacking the surrounding trees and plants with a multitude of attacks. Dirt, leaves, and splinters of wood flew everywhere, and any remaining forest Pokémon fled in fear.

"Ah, now _this_ I like!" exclaimed Zora gleefully. "Zoroark, you too! And you as well, Sableye!"

The Illusion Fox Pokémon quickly joined its colleague Pokémon in the wanton destruction. Selene also heard a Poké Ball unleashing another Pokémon, the familiar cry of a Sableye, and then even more attacks. She struggled to hold in a fearful whimper as she heard the roars and explosions getting closer and closer; her heart was hammering even more strongly against her ribcage, threatening to burst through it. However, she refused to let it impede her progress, and the girl continued to sneak away using the brush as cover. As for Celebi, it started to squirm in the girl's arms, whimpering softly in despair at the destruction of a beloved forest.

"Shhhhh, Celebi," Selene whispered. "We have to be quiet if we wanna get away-"

Salamence's roar cut her off, and the seven-year-old girl saw the Dragon Pokémon soaring above her position again. She stopped moving, fearful that Kay and Delos might see her obscure movements from above. Unfortunately, while she was distracted, Chesnaught attacked the tree she had been hiding behind with a Seed Bomb attack. Parts of the tree violently exploded, showering Selene with splinters of wood and causing her to let out a scream of terror.

"THERE YOU ARE, YA LITTLE RUNT!" Zora cried.

Selene squealed fearfully as she was pinned down by Zoroark. In the process, she let go of both Celebi and Pichu, and both Pokémon tumbled a couple of feet away from her.

"NO!" the little girl cried. Then, she could only watch helplessly as Chesnaught approached the fallen Time Travel Pokémon; it picked it up with a vine that stretched itself out of the Spiny Armor Pokémon's shield.

"You thought you could get away with this?" Parker asked savagely as he knelt beside Selene and looked at her in the eyes. "I'm not sure if you watch the news, kid, but know this: we are the Eight-Headed Seviper..."

"And we always get what we want," Zora completed, licking her lips. "So you shouldn't try to mess with us."

At that same moment, Kay's Salamence landed nearby. Kay, Delos, and Medicham dismounted the Dragon Pokémon and quickly approached the others.

"Do you have the target?" Kay asked sternly.

"Yes, Kay ma'am," Parker replied professionally, with Chesnaught holding Celebi out for Kay to see as proof.

"Are you sure?"

"What does it look like to you?" Zora asked, the Pokémon Poacher rolling her eyes bitterly. However, she was silenced when her superior shot her an irritated look.

"Well, it's good to make sure of it _this time_."

Kay began to approach Celebi when Selene shouted, "LEAVE CELEBI ALONE, YOU MEANIES!"

"Zora," Kay snarled between clenched teeth, without even looking, "for the love of Arceus, SHUT THIS KID UP!"

"Yes, ma'am," Zora replied with a slightly annoyed tone. "Zoroark!"

Selene's eyes widened with absolute fear and panic as she watched Zoroark's blue eyes glow brightly.

"Use-"

"USE LAND'S WRATH!"

The ground underneath everyone except for Selene and Zoroark started to glow green. Before the Pokémon Poachers could react, the ground broke apart and shifted and exploded violently. Kay, Parker, Delos, Zora, and their Pokémon all screamed as they were tossed and thrown around like rag dolls. Once the ground stopped shaking and shifting, Zoroark got off of Selene and growled angrily, hoping to find the attacker.

"Luxray, use Wild Charge!" another voice commanded.

Selene watched as Luxray sprinted onto the scene, shrouded in yellow electricity. He slammed himself into Zoroark, electrocuting the Illusion Fox Pokémon and knocking it back into a tree with so much brute force that the tree trunk broke and fell over. Selene sat up with a smile.

"UNCLE CLEMONT!" she cried. "AUNTIE BONNIE!"

Clemont and Bonnie stood in the middle of a clearing with Luxray, Diggersby, and Squishy, the latter of whom was in its 10% Forme. Then, four others, and their Pokémon, ran past the two adults and towards Selene: Yancy, Nate, Finn, and Evelyn.

"Selene!" Yancy squeaked breathlessly, her voice cracking. "Selene, oh my goodness! Are you okay?! Are you hurt?!"

"Yeah," the girl replied. "But what about Celebi?!"

At the same time, Parker, Chesnaught, and Trevenant were all standing back up, with Chesnaught still holding Celebi in its clutches.

"You people just won't stop interfering, would you?!" Parker snarled furiously. "Trevenant, use Will-O-Wisp!"

Trevenant raised it arms, and multiple spheres of blue flames materialized around its body, revolving around it like a solar system model. Then, the spheres all gravitated to the Elder Tree Pokémon's arms, whereupon it fired them all at Clemont, Bonnie, and their Pokémon.

"Counter with Mud-Slap, Diggersby!" Clemont ordered.

The Digging Pokémon promptly slammed its two massive ears/arms into the ground and used them to hurl mud and dirt at the Will-O-Wisp attack. Within seconds, all of the blue, fiery spheres were extinguished by the earth, creating a large, billowing cloud of smoke in the process.

"CURSES!" Parker snapped as the smoke started to envelop him, Chesnaught, and Trevenant.

"EMBOAR, USE BLAST BURN!" Nate commanded.

The Mega Fire Pig Pokémon roared loudly as its body became engulfed in flames colored in multiple shades of red, orange, and yellow. It then punched a fist into the ground, triggering a wave of fiery energy into the earth, which then moved underneath Parker and his Pokémon as they were distracted by the smoke. The energy then exploded upwards in a gigantic, fiery explosion, sending them all flying in the air. In the process, Chesnaught released Celebi in the midst of its pain.

"BIIIII!" Celebi squealed.

"I've got you, Celebi!" Selene cried. She ran forward and managed to catch the Time Travel Pokémon, while Parker, Chesnaught, and Trevenant all landed painfully on the ground. "There you go! I got you!"

"Not for long!" Kay snarled. She emerged through the cloud of smoke, riding her Salamence again.

"Florges, use Moonblast!" Yancy ordered.

"Lucario, use Aura Sphere!" commanded Finn.

"W-W-Wigglytuff, u-u-use D-D-Double S-Slap!" stuttered Evelyn.

Salamence flew up in the air to avoid Florges and Wigglytuff's attacks, but Lucario made sure to aim its Aura Sphere accurately. The Dragon Pokémon was struck head-on, knocking Kay off of it.

The green-haired poacher landed expertly on the ground. Then, she glared at the Trainers with an expression of hatred.

"When will you kids learn to stop meddling with our business?!" she snapped. "You're _always_ in the way! ALWAYS!"

"We'll stop when _you_ stop poaching Pokémon!" Nate replied defiantly.

"Tough luck then, kid."

Kay then made a swiping movement with her arms, activating peculiar devices mounted there. She then aimed her right arm's device at Lucario, who was preparing to continue its attack on Salamence. The device emitted a powerful sound-wave in the form of a beam, which hit both Finn and Lucario; they fell to the ground, screaming and covering their ears. Having been saved from another attack, Salamence then fired a Hyper Beam at Nate, Yancy, Evelyn, and their Pokémon, injuring them and knocking them back.

"NOOOOO!" Selene screamed as she watched her sister and friends fall. "BIG SIS YANCY!"

Kay then turned towards Selene and fired a red dart from her left arm's device. But Celebi, having seen and anticipated this, used Psychic to the best of its ability, redirecting the dart away from Selene's neck just in the nick of time. Kay gritted her teeth and advanced towards the girl.

"GIVE. ME. THE. **CELEBI!** " the poacher screamed, her eyelid twitching angrily.

"NO!" Selene screeched at the top of her lungs. "NO, NO, **NO**! CELEBI IS NOT YOURS!"

And with that, she kicked a large rock at Kay, which hit her in the leg.

"GAH!" Kay keeled over, clutching her knee. She then glared daggers at Selene, causing the girl to regret her latest action of defiance. "You. Little. BRAT! I'LL MAKE SURE YOU PAY FOR THAT!" She pointed a trembling finger at Yancy, Nate, Evelyn, and their Pokémon, who were still lying on the ground. "SALAMENCE, USE FLAMETHROWER ON THEM! DON'T HOLD BACK!"

Selene gasped in horror. She looked towards Clemont and Bonnie's direction, hoping they would intervene. However, she was dismayed to see they were all now a few yards away, preoccupied with Delos, Zora, and their Pokémon. Salamence was prepared to fire the attack...

"PIIIII- **CHHHHHUUUUUUUUUU!** "

Everyone had forgotten about Selene's Pichu; now fully conscious, it hopped onto a log and released its most powerful Thunder Shock yet, electrocuting Salamence.

"SALAMENCE!" roared Kay furiously.

Celebi took advantage of this distraction to use Psychic. All of a sudden, massive vines emerged from under the earth and ensnared Kay before she could react. Salamence managed to dodge one vine and burn it away with Flamethrower, but it was ambushed by another vine, which wrapped around its body and held on with a vice-like grip.

"What in blazes is this?!" Kay snarled as she struggled against her binds.

"Whoa, Celebi!" Selene exclaimed, looking down at the Time Travel Pokémon in amazement as it continued controlling the vines. "You could do that...?"

" _Biiiiiiiiii_..." Celebi whispered. It closed its eyes as it continued to whisper, its voice getting louder and louder every second.

Selene suddenly felt a rush of cool air blowing across her shoulders and over her head. Then, she, Pichu, Yancy, Nate, Evelyn, and their Pokémon watched as a portal started to open up behind Kay and Salamence. Green light shone from within the portal, illuminating the entire area.

"Is that...?" began Yancy.

"A time portal!" Nate exclaimed in wonder.

"So the legends _are_ true..." Kay breathed out, unable to contain her amazement.

Once the time portal had grown considerably, Celebi opened its eyes, and the glow was at its strongest.

**"BI!"**

Without further ado, Celebi's vines tossed Kay and Salamence into the time portal as if they were balls being thrown through a hoop. Selene could hear Kay's scream of outrage and even terror as she and her Pokémon faded into nothingness, but she felt nothing for the horrible Pokémon Poacher. Instead, she ran up to Yancy as the pink-haired girl started to stand up.

"Are you okay, big sis Yancy?" she asked.

"Y-Ye-Yeah, I-I'm f-fi-fine," Yancy replied, her voice shaking. Then, she embraced Selene in a tight hug, without warning, and started to cry. "I w-was s-s-so w-wo-worried a-about y-y-you!"

"I'm fine, Yancy. Don't worry about me." She then looked down at Celebi. "How about you, Celebi? Are you okay?"

"Bi!" Celebi replied happily, nodding its head. Selene promptly smiled down at it.

"Good! I'm very glad!"

"Pichu pichu!" Pichu squeaked as she hopped back onto Selene's shoulder.

"Come on!" Evelyn cried as she stood up. "We still have to get out of here!"

Meanwhile, Parker, who was now fully recovered from Emboar's Blast Burn, had just noticed the apparent demise of Kay. He looked into the time portal, which was beginning to close, and then at Selene, Yancy, Nate, and Evelyn, who all didn't notice his recovery. His expression of horror at the sudden loss turned into one of rage that he thought he would never exhibit. He reached into his pocket and pulled out another Poké Ball.

"GO!" he roared.

He threw the Poké Ball, which unleashed a Shiny Sceptile with a red right eye and a yellow left eye; a scar was running down its left eye and cheek. The Sceptile cried out, attracting the attention of Selene and the Trainers.

"Parker!" Nate exclaimed with surprise.

"GIVE 'EM EVERYTHING YOU'VE GOT!" Parker hollered, sounding like a particularly irritated drill sergeant.

Sceptile used Leaf Storm, Chesnaught used Seed Bomb, and Trevenant used Phantom Force. The attacks hit Florges, Wigglytuff, and Emboar, respectively. But once all three Pokémon fell, Parker was still not done with them.

"SCEPTILE, USE FRENZY PLANT! WE'RE FINISHING THIS THING ONCE AND FOR ALL!"

Sceptile stuck its hands into the ground, triggering multiple brown roots to burst out from the ground. Unlike Celebi's vines, these plants were thicker and adorned with red thorns. Selene tried to run, but one of the vines slapped her down to the ground. It was a good thing she wasn't stabbed or cut by any of the thorns.

However, she accidentally let go of Celebi as she fell. The Time Travel Pokémon tried to run, but another vine slapped it violently into a tree. Selene could've sworn she heard something pop sickeningly.

"Celebi!" the girl cried.

"BIIIII!" Celebi squealed loudly in pain and agony. As if in response, the time portal stopped closing and began to reopen.

But something was different. The green light turned purple, and the rush of air was getting stronger by the minute, reaching uncontrollable levels. A horrible howling noise was filling the air. Then, Selene watched as the portal started to absorb leaves, then twigs, then rocks, then the log Pichu had been standing on...

"AGH!"

Selene felt an unknown force pulling her towards the portal. She quickly held on to a large rock that was jutting out of the ground, but the force was getting stronger.

"HOLD ON, PICHU!" Selene screamed over the blowing wind.

"PIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!" Pichu groaned as she held on to the girl's shoulder.

Selene then looked at Yancy, Nate, and Evelyn. They were all holding onto something, but this unknown force had a tight grip on them as well. She didn't know what happened to Finn, Clemont, Bonnie, or even the other poachers.

"RETURN!" the three Trainers all cried, recalling their Pokémon back into their Poké Balls.

"CHESNAUGHT, USE VINE WHIP!" Parker commanded.

Having just recalled his Sceptile and Trevenant, Parker was now holding onto Chesnaught while the Spiny Armor Pokémon wrapped his vines around a stable tree. But they were the closest to the portal out of everyone else, so they were no longer touching the ground. Instead, they were flailing around wildly in the air, gravitating near the portal.

**"BIIIIIIIIII!"**

Selene watched as Celebi also got caught up in the rushing wind. It tumbled through the air towards its own time portal, unable to do anything to stop it from growing out of control.

"CELEBI!" she cried as the girl caught the Time Travel Pokémon with one hand. "I'VE GOT YOU, CELEBI!"

**"BIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!"**

"EEK!"

Selene looked away from Celebi and gasped when Evelyn lost her grip on the tree root she was clinging onto and started to tumble towards the time portal. Nate tried to catch her with one hand, but missed. Yancy then managed to grab Evelyn's hand with her own, but her grip was already slipping.

"EVELYN!" Yancy screamed.

"YANCYYYYYYYYYY!" Evelyn shrieked as the Performers already lost their grips on each other. Selene screamed in terror as the blue-haired Performer disappeared into the portal, perhaps never to be seen again.

"NO!" shouted Yancy as she started to hit the tree root she was latched onto with despair. "NO, NO, **NO**!"

"AAAAAGGGGGHHHHH!" Nate hollered as he lost his own grip on a tree trunk.

Yancy immediately noticed this and held out her hand. "NATE!"

Nate grabbed onto his pink-haired friend's hand, and this time, their grip was more stable. However, the brown-haired Trainer's weight was causing Yancy to slowly lose her grip on the tree root. If this kept up, both of them would be sucked into the portal. Nate was the first to notice this.

"YANCY!" he cried over the wind. "YOU HAVE TO LET ME GO!"

"NO!" Yancy replied, shaking her head. "WE DON'T KNOW WHAT'LL HAPPEN TO YOU!"

"WELL, BETTER ME THAN THE BOTH OF US! YOU HAVE TO **LET ME GO**!"

"I CAN'T LET YOU GO! I...I LOVE YOU, NATE!"

Yancy wasn't sure if Nate heard her because of the howling air, but the Trainer smiled and yelled, "I'M SO GLAD I HAD YOU AS A FRIEND, YANCY! DON'T FORGET THAT!"

"NATE, DON'T YOU DARE LET GO! DON'T DO IT!"

Nate then said something else, but Yancy couldn't hear it over the wind. Then, her heart stopped the moment he let go. Her hand alone was not enough to hold on to him, so the brown-haired Trainer immediately slipped out of her reach and unflinchingly flew into the portal.

 **"NOOOOOOOOOO!"** screeched Yancy.

"NATEYYYYY!" Selene called in horror.

Suddenly, Yancy's tree root snapped from all of the strain it had just been through. The pink-haired teenager tumbled across the ground and held out her hand for anything stable to grab. Indeed, she grabbed the rock Selene was holding onto, but her grip wasn't as stable; she was already starting to let go. Selene wanted to grab her older sister, but she had one arm wrapped around Celebi and the other hand holding onto the rock.

"BIG SIS YANCY!" Selene screamed, tears falling out of her eyes and flying into the portal. First Evelyn, then Nate, and now Yancy...

 **"SEL** **EEEEEEEEEEEEEE** **ENE!"**

Selene looked away, but quickly regretted that decision. So, she looked back at the portal, but it was too late: Yancy was already gone.

"YANCYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!"

The girl started to cry. She wasn't sure what to do anymore. Her sister and two of her good friends were gone, and the time portal showed no signs of closing. There was no one else left to help her, save her...

"BIIIII!" Celebi squealed, just as Selene felt a vine wrap itself around the Time Travel Pokémon.

"NO!" the girl roared with a mixture of anger and grief, as she tightened her grip on Celebi. Parker's Chesnaught was now using one of its vines to grab Celebi, leaving the Spiny Armor Pokémon with only one other vine to use to hold on to the tree.

"THIS ISN'T OVER!" Parker roared as he held onto Chesnaught's shell. "ONE WAY OR ANOTHER, I'M GETTING THAT CELEBI, AND I'M GETTING PAID!"

Selene didn't bother to respond, instead devoting herself to a literal tug-of-war with Chesnaught's vine. It didn't matter if she lost Yancy, Nate, and Evelyn. She was NOT going to lose Celebi too!

"PICHU, USE THUNDER SHOCK, QUICK!" she ordered.

"PIIIIIIIIII- **CHUUUUUUUUUU!** "

The electricity coursed through Selene and Celebi's bodies, but the former refused to let go. The electricity also traveled across the vine and to Parker and Chesnaught, electrocuting both as well.

 **"AAAAARRRRRGGGGGHHHHH!"** Parker roared.

Then, predictably, Chesnaught lost its grip on the tree as a result of the attack, and both it and Parker flew into the time portal. Selene gasped, however, when she realized Chesnaught's vine was still wrapped tightly around Celebi's body.

"NO, CELEBI!" she cried.

Not wanting Celebi to be yanked out of her hands and left to an unknown fate while she was safe, Selene was left with no other choice. So, she let go of the rock and held onto Celebi with both arms.

"AAAAAGGGGGHHHHH!" she screamed as she flew into the portal. Within split-seconds, her entire world became a vortex of purple lights, and the two groups tumbled around violently in the incomprehensible space.

"PIIIIIIIIIICHUUUUUUUUUU!" Pichu squealed.

"BIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!" Celebi called.

Suddenly, Selene felt Chesnaught tug at the vine wrapped around Celebi again. It was _still_ not giving up?!

Pichu did not need ordering; as soon as she noticed, the Tiny Mouse Pokémon used Thunder Shock again. Everyone else was subsequently electrocuted, and finally, Chesnaught's vine let go of Celebi. Selene watched as Parker and Chesnaught flew farther away from her, Celebi, and Pichu.

"CHESNAUGHT, USE SEED BOMB!" Parker cried desperately, much to Selene's own distress.

The Spiny Armor Pokémon opened its mouth and fired multiple glowing, green seeds towards Selene. Defiantly, Pichu hopped off her unofficial owner's shoulder and fired another Thunder Shock, which hit most of the seeds. However, one managed to get past the Electric attack and hit the Tiny Mouse Pokémon.

"PIIIII!" Pichu squealed in pain.

"NO, PICHU!" Selene cried as she caught her beloved Pokémon, which now sported a number of injuries and was close to losing consciousness.

"WE'RE NOT GIVING UP, LITTLE GIRL!" Parker hollered, spit flying out of his mouth as he spoke. "WE'RE GETTING THAT ACCURSED CELEBI WHETHER YOU LIKE IT OR NOT! CHESNAUGHT, USE SEED BOMB AGAIN!"

Chesnaught fired more Seed Bombs, but Selene, Celebi, and Pichu were now out of reach, and the seeds exploded harmlessly.

"AGAIN!" shouted Parker.

Chesnaught fired again, but the two were met with the same results.

"AGAIN! AGAIN! AGAIN! AGAIN! **AGAIN!** "

After a couple of minutes of shouting and harmless explosions, Parker and Chesnaught were now out of earshot, too far away to land a decent attack. Only soft, endless popping noises indicated their presence. This left just Selene, Celebi, and Pichu, who were tumbling towards an unknown destination. Holding the two Pokémon close to her chest, Selene assumed a fetal position and closed her eyes, hoping this would all end soon, and peacefully.

As she started to lose consciousness, Selene uttered one last word.

"Mommy..."

Upon hearing that word, Celebi's eyes started to glow blue again. But Selene didn't get to see what the Time Travel Pokémon was doing, for she finally lost consciousness...

* * *

**_The present day..._ **

* * *

**The local Pokémon Center  
** **Kiloude City**

"And that's what happened," Selene said. "I woke up, met Mr. Yuu and Mrs. Ami, they called you, Mommy, you came, and you took me here. And here we are!"

"Oh, you poor thing..." Miette replied sympathetically.

"Whoa..." Ash remarked, astounded by the story he just heard.

"Pika..." added Pikachu.

"Well, that explains a lot," Summer said, a finger on her chin. "Celebi was injured in that battle, and since it's called the Keeper of Time, then its power over time must've been disrupted as a result."

"Ah, I see!" Clemont exclaimed, his glasses glinting brightly. "This could be why there's been all those explosions in Kiloude Forest. They're space-time anomalies!"

"Space-time anamo..." Bonnie tried to repeat. "Space-time amano... Space-time... What?"

"Space-time anomalies! They're irregularities, mistakes in the space-time continuum, which is pretty much science's name for all of reality."

"All of reality?" repeated Shauna.

"Yep! So since Celebi was injured, and Celebi is the Keeper of Time, then this could be the space-time continuum's way of reacting to those injuries!"

"I'm not really getting this science mumbo-jumbo, but okay," Tierno replied.

"But Celebi's being treated right now, right?" Trevor said. "So that means once it's feeling all better, those explosions will stop, isn't that right?"

"Yes, that's correct," Nurse Joy replied, nodding.

"Well, that's a relief," Ash remarked. "We won't be getting into trouble with those things anymore."

"Pika pika," Pikachu added in agreement.

"Wait a minute," Summer said, catching everyone's attention. She looked at Selene with a serious expression. "You said Celebi was being hunted by Pokémon Poachers?"

"Mm-hm," replied Selene.

"And you said that _two_ of those poachers went into the time portal with you?"

"Uh-huh."

Summer's eyes narrowed with suspicion. "So, those poachers, you're saying they're here too?"

Selene's eyes widened with fear, as did everyone else's. At Selene's bedside, Serena's hand, which had been on Selene's the entire time, wrapped itself around said hand and held it tightly and protectively.

"That doesn't sound good," remarked Tierno.

"Oh, what about Selene's sister and friends?!" Shauna exclaimed. "They must be here too if that's the case!"

"Oh yeah, that's right!" Ash replied.

"That's true!" cried Selene, the little girl shooting up on her bed. "You gotta find them, please! I need to know if they're alright!"

"We will, we will," Summer replied. She pulled out a notepad and a blue pen from her pocket. "Do you think you can describe your friends, please?"

As Selene divulged all relevant descriptions to the Pokémon Ranger, Serena became lost in her own thoughts. Apparently another one of her so-called future children was in the present day as well. And judging by Selene's story, this girl was also a Pokémon Performer. Serena couldn't help but squirm happily inside; she'd love to talk to this girl and learn a lot about herself in the future...

**_"You know, a few hours ago, I saw a girl who looked a lot like you, but with pink hair-"_ **

_"Could this be what Willy was talking about yesterday...?"_ the honey-blonde Performer thought.

* * *

Elsewhere in Kiloude City, a quartet of Pokémon Performers walked down the sidewalk. Three of them were in the lead; they were Blanche, Kazalie, and Shulin. Walking beside them were Blanche's female Meowstic, Kazalie's Lilligant, and Shulin's Accelgor.

"Wow!" Blanche cried, spinning around in amazement at her surroundings. "So this is Kiloude City, huh?!"

"If it isn't, then I'm definitely getting myself a new map!" Kazalie exclaimed, the green-haired Performer completely fixated on the faraway Laurier Maison. "Scratch that, I'm gonna write a petition to have this place renamed to Kiloude City! It's way too beautiful not to be!"

"It figures that this place is the hometown of the Kalos Queen," replied Shulin.

"Makes me wonder why she's never mentioned it, like, at all. If there's a reason why she isn't boasting about it, I'm not seeing it."

"Yeah, I wonder that too, cuz." Then, Shulin turned around to look at her newest companion, who was lagging behind as she too absorbed the sights and sounds of Kiloude City. "Hey, hurry up there, Pinkie! Don't make us wait for you!"

"Shulin, be nice," Blanche said, frowning at her fellow Performer. Then, she turned towards this Performer as well. "Come on! We're gonna go to this new ice-cream parlor; I heard they serve the best ice cream in Kalos!"

"Yeah, I've, uh...I-I've heard of it," the Performer replied. "I...actually tried that ice cream already. It's honestly not something to clamor about..."

"Wow, what a killjoy," Shulin remarked, only to be elbowed lightly in the shoulder by a disapproving Kazalie.

"Oh, I doubt it!" Blanche continued positively. "The reviews for that place are absolutely _glowing_!" Then, she scratched her head. "Yancy, right?"

"Yeah," replied the Performer. "Th-That's me."

"How come you know about that parlor when you said you've never been to Kiloude City before?"

Yancy's crystal-blue eyes widened in horror, and the White Flower Florges beside her tensed up a little. She had been caught in a lie!

_"Oh, f-"_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, that was an action-packed chapter that also provided a ton of exposition! I certainly had a lot of fun writing it! :D :D :D
> 
> So, just to recap, it's not just Selene and Parker who are in the present day like in the original fic, but also Yancy, Nate, Evelyn, and Kay! There was a reason why Yancy's name is included in the list of characters in the fic's header, and this is the reason! I also wanted to explore TransceiverShipping more, since it's one of my favorite underrated shippings. But don't worry; Selene will still get the most focus out of the future characters, since she's Celebi's self-appointed protector.
> 
> And yes, Bonnie has ownership over Squishy in the future. Isn't that awesome or what?!
> 
> Also, once again, I've reintroduced more of Serena's fellow Performers from the peanut gallery! This time, the lucky Performers are Blanche, who was introduced in "A Showcase Debut!"; and Kazalie and Shulin, who were both introduced in "Master Class Choices!". I'm not sure if you guys caught it, but I also decided to make Kazalie and Shulin cousins. It's not canon in the anime, but I implemented this because they both have green hair, and I didn't find it plausible that the ever-expanding cast of characters would have THREE light-green-haired Performers (the cousins and Sara Lee) without at least some of them being related.
> 
> And also, I hope you Disney fans caught on to this already, but just in case you didn't, I deliberately based Countess Diable from Cruella De Vil of "101 Dalmatians". As for the title of Countess, that was actually taken from Count Olaf of "A Series of Unfortunate Events". I made Parker's group, the Eight-Headed Seviper, as unique as possible for fanfic villains, but I decided to go for a stereotypical approach with Diable so I could form a good contrast between poacher and client. But Diable definitely doesn't want to use Celebi for a fur-coat, nor does she want a literal fortune from it.
> 
> Well, hope you enjoyed this action-packed chapter! TheCartoonFanatic01 is out. PEACE!


	8. A Night of Truth

**Kiloude Station**

Alouette stepped out of the train station, her Furfrou loyally following her every step of the way. She took in a deep breath of fresh air, and smiled at the sight of Kiloude City. It was such welcoming scenery to the black-haired Pokémon Performer, a definite contrast to the tough season of Pokémon Showcases that just concluded. After all, once again, it was another failure for her...

Alouette shook her head to clear it of all the dark thoughts. Then, she started walking further into the downtown area, where many pedestrians where.

"Wow!" the girl exclaimed as she examined the storefront windows of multiple boutiques. "There's so many clothes and accessories here! And I can see a Stylist shop! I guess it isn't Aria's hometown for nothing!"

"Furf-furfrou," Furfrou grumbled, nodding its head in agreement.

"What do you think, Furfrou? Wanna get your fur groomed?"

The Poodle Pokémon's tail started wagging in excitement. "Furfrou!"

The two began to proceed towards the Stylist shop when they overheard the voice of a reporter on a nearby television monitor.

_**"And here's a recap of my one-on-one interview with Kalos Queen Aria."** _

Alouette and Furfrou both stopped and looked at the monitor. It had attracted a considerable crowd, though she and Furfrou could still see and hear it from the distance they were at. And they could definitely see the redheaded, beautiful Kalos Queen, sitting on a luxurious chair and with a microphone close to her face. Her Delphox and Aromatisse were standing on either side of her, while her Meadow Pattern Vivillon was perched on the head of the chair.

 _ **"So, Aria,"**_ the reporter said, _**"how does it feel knowing you are returning to your hometown after so many years? I'm sure you must be feeling a whole lot of joy and nostalgia from this."**_

Aria smiled serenely as always, nodded, and replied cheerfully, **_"Of course! I made a promise to myself to return home once in a while, but I guess I've become more and more preoccupied in recent years. All the new challengers to battle, all the new events to go to, all the smiles to give, it's just been so extraordinarily busy for me!_** _ **But with the season over and a huge clearing now in my schedule, it brings me**_ _ **great happiness to know I'm going back home to Kiloude City.**_ ** _"_** She then directed her smile at the camera. _**"Kiloude City, whose citizens are always kind, sweet, exquisite, and keep on shining!"**_

The redhead winked charmingly at the camera's direction, eliciting a massive roar of joy and excitement from the crowd, mixed with several males shouting, "AAAAARRRRRIIIIIAAAAA!" Alouette couldn't help but roll her eyes at the fanaticism of the citizens.

"Come on, Furfrou," she said. "Let's go- OOF!" The black-haired Performer had walked into someone; she gasped and stumbled backward. "Oh! I'm so sorry, sir, I didn't see where I was going!"

However, the man didn't respond. Instead, he started staring strangely at her. Closely inspecting him, Alouette saw that he had a muscular body, blond hair cut in a buzz-cut, and beady dark eyes so sharp that one stare could pierce through her soul. He also wore a tight-fitting, white tank-top; a light, jungle-camouflage jacket; jungle-camouflage pants with a thick brown belt; dark-brown combat boots; and dark sunglasses that were on top of his head at the moment. He almost reminded Alouette of a soldier returning home from a war.

At that moment, Furfrou started growling menacingly at the man, who met its gaze. The three stood still for a minute or so, though it felt like an eternity to Alouette. Finally, the strange man merely turned his back on her and started walking away, his footsteps loud and imposing. The Performer could only stand still and watch him go in befuddlement.

"Um... What just happened...?" she asked.

Meanwhile, the man was fiddling with a black, futuristic wristwatch, which then materialized a 3D map of Kiloude City, though it flickered lightly with static. He narrowed his eyes at a green marker on the map, which was just a couple of miles from his current position. Then, he reached into his left pocket and pulled out a strange-looking, pyramid-shaped device that was glowing a sickly green color.

"I'm coming for you, you accursed Celebi..."

* * *

**The local Pokémon Center**

Serena closely watched Selene from her bedside, as the seven-year-old slept contently in her bed. Explaining the circumstances of her time-traveling and giving the descriptions of Yancy, Nate, Evelyn, Parker, and Kay had sucked all of the energy out of Selene, hence why she was now sleeping.

The two girls were the only ones in the room at the present time. The others left moments earlier for various reasons: Ash, Clemont, Bonnie, Shauna, Tierno, Trevor, and Miette were out in the lobby to discuss their next moves; Grace, Calem, Layla, and Moose returned to the hotel to process the overload of shocking information; and Summer and Nurse Joy were having a private conversation in the latter's office. Serena volunteered to be the one to watch Selene because of her strange motherly intuition towards the girl; no one argued against that one bit. And now that she was alone with the strange little girl, Serena had the opportunity to mull over these revelations.

A part of her told her she really shouldn't believe this girl's claims, that she should rationalize it as the ramblings of a poor girl desperate for attention. But Serena knew there was no way a girl like Selene, who she and the others had never met before, could've come up with such a complex story about them and other characters in the future. And what about that Celebi? That Celebi surely explained a lot. Not to mention that explosion in Kiloude and all the others in the surrounding forest.

It all just seemed so implausible to her, yet she was aware of all the evidence that pointed to otherwise.

Perhaps it was all just so hard for her to accept as truth. After all, she just met a child who called her "Mommy" with utmost confidence, with no proof that she was just seeking attention. Who wouldn't be shocked?

Suddenly, Serena heard Selene moan in her sleep, and the girl shifted a little uncomfortably, her brow furrowed. She seemed to be having a nightmare about something.

 _"Probably those Pokémon Poachers..."_ Serena concluded in her mind.

Instinctively, the honey-blonde teenager placed a hand over Selene's raven-black hair, much like Ash's, and started stroking it gently. As soon as she did that, Selene started to settle down, and her expression became calmer. There was something about that expression that made Serena's heart flutter a little. It was just...glowing with innocence...

 _"She risked her life to protect that Celebi. She experienced things no child should've experienced in one day. And now she's here, in a time that she doesn't know at all. ...Poor Selene. She must've been scared out of her mind..."_ Then, Serena's expression hardened.

"You have no reason to be scared anymore, Selene," she whispered with determination. "I'll see to it. I'll protect Celebi for you. We all will. Until this situation is resolved, that will be my top priority. I promise you."

"Wow, you're really taking this whole mother thing seriously, Serena."

Serena let out a surprised squeak when she saw Ash in the doorway. Pikachu wasn't on his shoulder.

"Oh!" the Performer exclaimed. "A-Ash! My goodness, I didn't notice you!"

"Oh, don't worry," the raven-haired Trainer replied. "I just got here. We're all going back to the hotel, just so you know." He looked at Selene for a moment, then back at Serena. "Do...Do you wanna come...?"

"Huh?" Serena looked at Selene, then at Ash, and then back at Selene. "I-I... I, uh... I don't know-"

"Summer promised me she'd be staying her twenty-four-seven, watching over her and Celebi. After all, there's people after Celebi; it's her job to stop that from happening." Ash took a couple of steps forward. "But...if you're _really_ worried about her, Serena, then you can stay here."

Serena blinked in complete surprise. "R-Really?"

"Well, yeah. I mean, she's your future daughter, after all. And I know a concerned mother when I see one."

"Y-You do, huh...?"

Ash chuckled. "Well, I _was_ raised by one for ten years. And she did it all by herself, might I add!"

"Oh, yeah." Serena chuckled as well. "You _did_ tell me about your mother a few times..."

_**"So... If I'm your mommy, then who's your daddy?"** _

Serena clenched her fists at that memory. She was _so_ close to finding out the answer to that. But now, she would have to wait for that till tomorrow at the earliest. What was Selene going to say? Was Ash her father? Or was it someone else? Clemont, Tierno, Trevor, and Sawyer were quickly ruled out as candidates for her future husband when Selene called all of them her uncles. Even Calem was an uncle, thank goodness for that.

But that didn't narrow down the playing field at all! For all she knew, Serena had yet to _meet_ her future husband! And was their marriage happy? Or unhappy? Or was she the only one suffering and she was just hiding it from the rest of her family to preserve the dynamic? It was a shame her future self and/or her husband had yet to arrive at that future Pokémon Showcase when the time-traveling incident happened.

There were so many questions and so few answers! It was racking Serena's brain, just thinking about it!

Suddenly, Ash said, "You know, we know you're the mom, Serena, but Selene never _did_ say who her dad was. I wonder who it could be..."

Serena's face turned into the reddest shade possible. "Y-Ye-Ye-Yeah..." she stuttered in response. "Oh, I w-w-wonder..."

"Well, whoever the dad is, I hope you're happy with him in the future. He _is_ gonna be your husband too, after all."

Steam might've as well been shooting out of Serena's ears and nostrils like a steam locomotive, because her shyness and embarrassment just reached critically high levels. She couldn't believe Ash was talking about this so casually! Then again, this was ASH FREAKING KETCHUM she was thinking about! Did he even think for a _second_ about the possibility that HE was the father?! After all, Selene's hair _was_ pretty reminiscent of his own... Not to mention her smile and eating habits...

But then again, Ash could've just been a better father figure to her than her own father, so she just picked up those traits from him...

"Yeah..." Serena replied, settling down from her embarrassment. "I hope so too..."

"Well, I'll be going back to the hotel." Ash started to walk out of the room. "See you tomorrow, Serena! Or tonight, if you plan on leaving that time-"

"Wait a minute, Ash."

Ash stopped and looked back at his honey-blonde friend. "Yeah, Serena?"

Serena hesitated for the longest time, thinking about her next words carefully, before replying, "Your dream is to become a Pokémon Master, right?"

The raven-haired Trainer smiled determinedly and raised a fist. "You betcha! I can't think of any other dream better than that!"

"Well...did you ever think about...what you'll do _after_ you become a Pokémon Master...?"

"What I'll do after?" Ash was silent for the longest time as well; he too considered his next words carefully. "Well, I guess I'll start a Pokémon ranch!"

...

...

...

"A...Pokémon ranch...?" repeated Serena.

"Yeah, like the one Professor Oak has at his lab! It's full of Pokémon, including all the ones I've caught over the years! But my ranch is gonna be ten times larger! Maybe even larger than that! I'll probably have to talk to Clemont about any inventions that can decrease the space but still allow it to fit in all the Pokémon that I plan to have."

"I see. That...That sounds great, Ash! It sounds just like you to start something like that."

Ash chuckled and scratched his cheek sheepishly. "Well, a guy can dream, right? I mean, to be honest, I never really thought about it much, what I'm gonna do after I become a Pokémon Master. But now you've got me thinking! Thanks, Serena!"

"Y-Y-You-You're w-w-welcome, A-Ash..." Serena stuttered. Then, she cleared her throat and continued more smoothly, "Anything else you're thinking about doing at that time...?"

"Anything else?" This time, it didn't take Ash long to provide an answer. "Well, I'll start a family, I guess."

"A family, huh?"

"Yeah! Like your family!"

The honey-blonde suddenly laughed dryly. "What, you mean the one where my great-grandma has twenty kids?"

"No, I mean the one with you, Selene, Yancy, and all the others! You all sound like a really happy family."

Serena's small smile nearly turned into a frown. "Yeah... Yeah, I guess we do..."

The room was silent for a moment. Then, Ash asked, "Do you have any other questions for me, Serena?"

"No," Serena replied politely, shaking her head. "I'm fine, Ash. Thank you for being honest and straightforward with me."

"Hey, good friends never lie to each other, right?" Then, the teenage boy noticed Serena's expression. "Hey, Serena?"

"Y-Yeah...?" Serena's eyes started to shimmer; her friend and crush looked uncharacteristically serious again, like last night at the hotel balcony.

"I know things are very weird for you right now. Trust me, I'd also be out of my mind if a girl like Selene said I was her daddy and told me this story, with all the proof to back it up."

"Yeah." Serena cast a look at Selene. "Things _are_ pretty weird right now..."

"So...if you ever want to talk about it, just call me. You know the number to our hotel room, right?"

"Yeah, but...what if I call you in the middle of the night? I don't know how long I'll be staying here-"

"Then I'll have my Pokémon keep an eye on the phone. They'll take turns sleeping and watching. And don't worry about me. If it's you, I'll talk to you about _anything_."

"A-Anything...?"

Ash nodded. "Anything. Just give me a call, and I'll be there."

Serena looked at her crush for the longest time, and all of the awkward tension was gone. The Performer smiled widely.

"Thank you, Ash," she replied. "I'll take you up on that offer."

Unbeknownst to either Serena or Ash, Selene was secretly awake and overheard their conversation. She turned over on her side to mask her developing smile.

 _"I'm glad Mommy and Daddy are getting along so well..."_ she thought.

* * *

Unbeknownst to absolute _everyone_ in Selene's room, a certain trio had been eavesdropping on all of the exchanges that had been going on inside. They were in the shelter of bushes and using high-tech devices that allowed them to detect the voices.

"Whoa," James said. "So there's a girl who came from the future..."

"And she's da twerpette's daughter!" exclaimed Meowth.

" _And_ that girl has a _Celebi_!" Jessie added. "Triple the surprise!"

"And triple da reward!"

"Come again?" James asked, looking down at the Scratch Cat Pokémon.

"Tink about it, James!" Grinning, Meowth cleverly placed a paw on his chin. "First, what we 'ave ta do is ask dat girl about our futures, see where we are! Tink about all da possibilities!"

The blue-haired man's eyes widened with wonder. "We...We could be _celebrities_..."

"Our names could be renowned all across the world..." Jessie said, swooning.

"Den," continued Meowth, "we snatch da Celebi and give it to da boss! Ya both know what dat means!"

" _Promotions_..." James said, his eyes sparkling. " _Pay raises_..."

"Recognition from the boss!" exclaimed Jessie, clapping her hands together with excitement.

"And finally, we use da girl ta catch Pikachu!"

"YAY!" Jessie and James hollered out simultaneously. "TEAM ROCKET WILL WIN AND NO ONE WILL BE ANY WISER!"

Then, all of a sudden, James frowned. "But wait a sec," he said. "There's a Pokémon Ranger watching over that girl and Celebi..."

"Yeah, that's true..." replied Jessie. "And our experiences with Pokémon Rangers have been less than fortunate..." Then, she remembered something else. "Not to mention I have to practice for the Exhibition Showcase!"

"Wha...?" Meowth said. "Ya still on dat...?"

"Of course, Meowth!" Jessie raised a clenched fist of determination, as stars were shining brightly in her eyes. "After all, I have a crowd of adoring fans and I can't afford to not be in tiptop shape when the Showcase happens!"

"So whaddaya suggest we do, Jessie?"

"We prepare for the Showcase, that's what! And when I win, we use my influence to get that Pokémon Ranger to back off so we could get Celebi and Pikachu! HAHAHAHAHA! It's a flawless, ingenious plan if I do say so myself!"

"B-But...I thought that Showcase was just an-" James began, but he stopped speaking when he saw the excited look on his comrade's face. After taking a moment to consider his course of action, he sighed and shrugged. "It works for me, I guess..."

Wobbuffet immediately popped out of nowhere and cried, "WOBBUFFET!"

* * *

"Where's Serena?"

That was the first question Bonnie asked Ash when he approached her, Pikachu, Clemont, Shauna, Tierno, Trevor, and Miette at the lobby. He looked at Selene's room for a moment before turning back to his friends and rivals.

"She's decided to stay here and watch over Selene," the raven-haired Trainer replied.

"She is?" Clemont asked, surprised.

"Yeah. I guess she's decided to take the whole mother thing seriously. Not that I blame her, though. This girl's relying on her for safety and comfort, and Serena can't turn a blind eye to that."

"That's true," Bonnie replied sympathetically. "Serena's a very nice person. She cares for a lot of people." She then smiled from ear to ear. "I'd like to have her as a big sister!"

"A-A b-big s-s-si-sister, h-huh...?" Clemont stuttered, blushing brightly at the implications, though his younger sister didn't seem to catch on.

"Nenene!" Dedenne squeaked, while Squishy just chirped softly.

"Speaking of which," remarked Miette, "we all know Serena's the mother of that girl. But..." She couldn't help but cast a crafty glance at Ash, as did Shauna. "Who's the father...?"

"Yeah, I wondered about that too," Ash replied, totally oblivious to Miette and Shauna's stares. "I even talked to Serena about that. But hopefully we'll find out the answer to this mystery tomorrow."

"Y-Ye-Yeah..." Clemont stuttered, still thinking about the shocking possibility of him being Serena's husband. "H-Ho-Hope-Hopefully..."

"Hopefully," Shauna said, still looking at Ash craftily.

"Well, come on!" exclaimed Ash, as Pikachu hopped onto his shoulder and the Trainer started to walk out of the lobby. "Let's give Serena some space and go back to the hotel, shall we?"

Everyone else followed him out of the Pokémon Center and into the streets of Kiloude City. But when the group was just a few feet away from the Center, Ash instinctively stopped and looked behind him, towards the building. He didn't know why, but there was this strange feeling in his gut. It appeared...the moment he left the Pokémon Center. It was as if...his intuition was telling him to stay there with Serena and Selene...

But he didn't understand this feeling. He knew Serena could take good care of herself and a little girl, and that Summer, a competent and very skilled Pokémon Ranger, was also there, watching over Celebi. So why did he feel like something horrible was going to happen in his absence...?

"Pikapi?" Pikachu asked.

"Ash?!" Tierno called, catching the Trainer's attention. "Yo, are you coming or what?!"

"Huh?" Then, Ash forced a confident smile upon his worried face. "Y-Yeah! I'm coming!"

As he followed his friends, a wave of dark clouds started to spread in the skies of Kiloude...

* * *

**Room 30001, the Blue Suns Deluxe Hotel  
** **The following night**

_**"And now for today's headlines."** _

Amelia stopped looking at herself in the mirror and turned her head towards the massive ultra-HD television set. Lying lazily beside her foot was her Espeon, while her Shiny Dragonair was right behind her, emanating a somewhat pompous aura.

_**"Authorities confirmed earlier today that the unexplained explosion in Kiloude City's downtown district only left 33 people and Pokémon injured, none of them severely. Many were taken to the local Pokémon Center for treatment. But the area where the explosion occurred has now been taped off by police and access is strictly forbidden until the scene is fully processed.** _

_**"A spokesperson for famed Pokémon Showcase producer Palermo also confirmed that the disaster will not interfere with tomorrow's Exhibition Showcase."** _

"Well, that's good to know," Amelia remarked. Espeon let out a noncommittal huff, while Dragonair looked even more smug.

_**"Though some of the people and Pokémon injured were participants, they have already finished treatment, and only a couple are staying overnight at the Pokémon Center. This, I feel, is a huge relief, because this reporter knows which Performer she's rooting for, and she doesn't want the Showcase schedule all muddled up!"** _

"That Performer had better me," said Amelia, snobbishly sticking her chin up a little.

At that moment, the door to her room opened, and a woman's head stuck itself inside.

"Miss Amelia," she said with an elegant voice, all the while presenting a large cup of ice cream, "here's the ice-cream sundae you ordered."

"There aren't any peanuts in it, right?"

...

...

...

Amelia's eyes widened, and she frowned angrily. "What'd I tell you?! I'm _allergic_ to peanuts! I thought I made that clear a million times! NO PEANUTS!"

"I-I told th-the chef that," the woman replied, struggling to maintain herself; her face was paling. "I-I swear, M-Miss Am-Amelia-"

"Now the whole sundae is ruined! Get it out of my sight!"

"I-I can remove the peanuts for you-"

"WHAT'D I TELL YOU?! GET IT OUT OF MY SIGHT! CONSIDER YOUR OVERALL SALARY DOCKED FOR THE WEEK!"

The woman immediately left, and sobbing could be heard. But Amelia ignored it and refocused on the TV, all the while making a mental note to have the entire kitchen staff fired and replaced.

_**"And now, we focus on the heroes of that day: a group of Trainers who selflessly ran towards the scene of the explosion rather than away from it, and provided aid to the injured. Here's some footage of them."** _

The screen changed; the footage was a bit shaky, but Amelia could make out her fellow Performers Shauna and Miette, along with some boys, helping people and Pokémon lying on the ground. Then, the black-haired heiress's eyes widened in shock when she also recognized none other than Serena helping a fellow Performer.

Amelia quickly took the remote, nearly dropping it in the process, and paused the screen on the image of Serena helping the other girl. She gritted her teeth hatefully at it, the gears in her mind whirring at high speeds as they were simply overwhelmed with anger and envy. Her brain struggled to comprehend the honey-blonde's ability to get more attention than her even if she wasn't trying.

"This. Is. _Unacceptable_ ," she snarled. "Oh, I'll be sure to bring you down, Serena. I'll bring you down GOOD."

"That's the spirit, my dear..." a suave voice replied.

Blushing a little with surprise, Amelia twirled around to see Adam approaching her. The green-haired man had just hung up his cellphone and was now smiling down upon his niece. Though Amelia was pleased by his arrival, both Espeon and Dragonair trembled a little and shrunk an inch every time he got closer.

"Always keep your eye on the goal and always treat everyone as an obstacle to be utterly destroyed," Adam continued. "That's the family way."

"Yes, yes, that's correct," Amelia replied, a gleeful smile appearing on her face. "I just didn't have my eye on the goal well enough back at Fleurrh City! But my eyesight won't waver this time! _This time_ , I'll show the audience they should've voted for me back then, not that hillbilly! I'll show them all! Hahaha!"

"Yes, indeed." Adam's eyelid twitched a little. "Well, forgive me for not _leaping_ for joy, my dear Amelia. I've got a little bad back at the moment. A lot of... _secretarial duties_..."

The green-haired man approached a sofa and collapsed on it. At that moment, Amelia asked, "Hey, Uncle Adam?"

"Yes, my dear...?" Adam replied dryly.

"Thank you, for being so supportive of me." The black-haired Performer looked down at the floor softly. "You were the only one in my family who listened to me. Everyone else was so...so..." Amelia narrowed her eyes spitefully. " _Busy_. Father's always running the hotel chain... Mother's always off in some region modeling... Grandmother's way too old." Then, the smile returned to Amelia's face, and she looked at her uncle with adoration. "But you've always listened to me, given me advice, being there for me during my loss... I promise you, Uncle, when I inherit this hotel chain, I'll give you an administrative position! You'll no longer have to work that unpleasant job of a secretary!"

Adam was silent for a moment, absorbing Amelia's thanks and praise. Then, he looked at his niece and gave her a sneer, although Amelia was so happy about her uncle that she didn't notice its devious appearance.

"Thank you for the courtesy, Amelia," he replied, "but that won't be necessary."

Amelia blinked in surprise. "Are-Are you sure, Uncle...?"

"Yes, I am 200 percent sure. In fact, I say this because I am expecting a better promotion in a couple of months."

"A better promotion? In a couple of months?" The Performer raised her eyebrow. "I don't think I've heard of any discussions about that..."

"Trust me, Amelia, it's all hush-hush at the moment. After all, your father _is_ my older brother, and we need to clear up any potential issues of nepotism. But it's a guarantee, my dear. You do not have to worry about me." The secretary's sneer widened. "Just focus on winning that Showcase and _demolishing_ the competition."

Amelia didn't respond for a brief moment, instead trying to take in the news. Then, she smiled.

"Yes, Uncle," she replied loyally. "I will. I promise you, I WILL win the crowd over that hillbilly and all of the other Performers! I'll even win over Aria! I'll be the star of the night!"

Adam looked away, his sneer still in place. "That's the spirit..."

_**"In other news, a small rainstorm has fallen upon Kiloude City, as meteorologists predicted..."** _

* * *

**Laurier Maison**

Aria, Palermo, Foster, Paris, and Amara were all seated at the oblong table in one of the Laurier Maison's many rooms, eating the dinner served to them by the staff. Aria's Pokémon, Paris's Lopunny, Foster and Amara's Zangoose, and Sylvia the Altaria were also in the same room, eating specially-prepared Pokémon food.

The air was festive, for everyone was talking to one another, discussing future Showcase seasons, debating on which Performers were the most impressive in Showcases, and getting caught up on stuff, both personal and professional. The only person who wasn't engaged in a conversation was Foster, who merely ate his food in silence while shooting the occasional look at Aria.

It was almost twenty-four hours since their last private conversation in Aria's bedroom. During that time since, Aria hadn't initiated another conversation with him, and every time he tried to approach her, she managed to find an excuse to avoid him. It was really boggling his mind. After all, Aria didn't seem to blame him for what happened ten years ago, so why was she now acting like he was the plague?

Suddenly, Foster heard Palermo address him. "Foster, you haven't spoken even once. Please, tell me all about yourself. Paris tells me you're Aria's childhood friend."

"Y-Ye-Yes, th-that's correct," the farmhand replied, still startled at being addressed by a famous producer and Aria's mentor.

"Hmmm, interesting..." The old producer lowered her fork and knife. "I've only heard Aria mention your name a total of five times during the years I've known her, and yet she never goes into specifics every time."

"Really...?" Foster shot Aria a glare of suspicion, which the redhead averted her gaze from. Aria's Delphox noticed this and stared warily at the farmhand.

"Yes, of course." Palermo leaned forward a little, rubbing her chin with her index finger. "I'd love to learn a little about the boy who kept my best student entertained during her childhood."

"W-Well..." Foster gave Aria another glance before explaining, "We've known each other forever. She...She means the whole world to me."

Palermo's eyebrows shot up a little at the admission, while Paris and Amara both struggled to hold in their squeals of delight. As for Aria, her cheeks turned slightly pink.

* * *

**About an hour later**

Once the dinner was over, Palermo, Paris, and Amara left to attend to their respective businesses. The Maison staff were left to gather and wash the dishes and silverware, but Aria, Foster, and their Pokémon volunteered to stay behind and help them. As such, the two Trainers were in the kitchen, washing some of the dishes.

"The food was great as usual," Aria commented after a long period of awkward silence. "Remind me to give the chef a tip."

Foster chuckled warmly. "I remember you always used to do that here," he replied. "Tip everyone. You always brought a smile to everyone's faces."

"I guess I was just born to be Kalos Queen, then."

"Yeah, I guess..."

It was silent again, and Aria's Delphox, Aromatisse, and Vivillon turned their gazes towards the couple of teenagers. Finally, after a couple of minutes of washing, Aria chose to break the silence again.

"Did you mean what you said back there? That I mean the whole world to you?"

"Well..." Foster blushed as he put his newest clean plate away. "Yeah..."

"Awww. That's pretty sweet of you, Foster." Aria put her own newest clean plate away as well. "I'm glad."

"That's good. I guess..." Foster scratched the back of his head for a second. "Look, Aria...I'm sorry for what happened between us last night. I should've been more sensitive about your emotions."

"Wha..." Then, the redhead's eyes widened. "Ohhhhh, I see. It's okay, Foster. I've moved past it already."

"You...You did...?" Foster's eyes widened too; he didn't expect such a response from his childhood friend. "Then...why were you ignoring me all the time today?"

"Oh, that?" Aria chuckled a little. "My goodness, I'm sorry, Foster! I was busy planning for the Exhibition Showcase! Did you not notice me practicing with my Pokémon out in the rear courtyard?"

 _"Come to think of it,"_ Foster thought when he started to reflect on that, _"she_ was _doing some moves with Delphox and Aromatisse when I went up to her one time..."_ Then, he said aloud, "So...you were never mad at me the whole time?"

"No, not at all!" Then, Aria's expression hardened a little. "Foster, please don't worry about me. I'm fine, I really am!"

"Are you sure? I mean...last night proved to me you're not ready to be home-"

"Tell me, Foster, do you see my crying right now?"

"N-No, but I-"

"Then I'm okay. Please, let me be." Aria crossed her arms. "I mean, you of all people know how important this is for me, and not just on a Showcase level! This could be therapeutic for me!"

"W-We-Well..."

But before he could continue, Foster paused and hesitated as he realized that Aria was right. This could be the thing she needed to move on. But then again, she really did break down last night...

"I guess," he finally said.

Aria smiled. "Thank you for understanding, Foster."

"Y-You're welcome..."

The redhead chuckled again and lightly slapped her friend's shoulder. "Jeez, Foster! The way you're talking makes it sound like you have a crush on me or something!"

...

...

...

...

...

"You do, don't you?" In the background, Delphox, Aromatisse, and Vivillon sweat-dropped at their Trainer's slow thinking.

"Whaddaya think I meant when I said you meant the whole world to me?!" Foster cried.

"I thought you were just being nice!" Aria started to blush brightly. "I, uh, I..." She scratched the back of her head in embarrassment. "Oh, dear... Heh heh heh... This is pretty new to me..."

"What, you've never gotten any confessions from male fans before?"

"Of course, Foster! I'm the Kalos Queen!"

"...But you've never gotten any serious confessions..." the farmhand concluded. Aria's blush deepened, which was good enough of an answer for him. "So...do you, um...do you have an answer for me, Ar...?"

Aria was silent for a few minutes, which left Foster really nervous. Ever since she returned to the Laurier Maison, he was hoping his childhood friend wouldn't catch on to his crush on her; he hoped he would just eventually confess to her on his own accord. But now that the Delcatty was already out of the bag, Foster could only hope now that Aria would, at the very least, be kind about her rejection. After all, he didn't want things to be any more awkward than they already were.

Finally, the redheaded Kalos Queen replied, "I'm sorry, Foster."

"I figured as much..." Foster said, his shoulders slumping sadly with defeat.

"I don't have an answer for you yet."

"Yeah, to be perfectly honest, a part of me had a feeling I wouldn't be good enough for you."

"Uhhhhh...Foster...?"

"I mean, you're the Kalos Queen, for crying out loud! And me, well...I'm just a simple farmhand."

"Foster-"

"What would everyone else think if they saw us together?"

" _Foster_ -"

"This would probably ruin your public image. The Kalos Queen, being all lovey-dovey with a dirty farm boy whose only good skills are cleaning up after Pokémon and feeding slops to them-"

"FOSTER!"

Foster stumbled a little, startled by Aria's outburst. "Y-Yeah?"

Aria stifled a giggle and replied, "You misheard me. I said I didn't have an answer for you _yet_."

The farmhand blinked. "Re- _Really_...?" When Aria nodded, his eyes widened. "So...is that girl talk for yes, or for no...?"

A comically dissatisfied look came upon the Kalos Queen's face. Her friend was _really_ putting too much thought and emotion into this discussion.

"It means I don't know yet."

"So..." Foster looked down at the floor shyly. "When _will_ you know...?"

"Hopefully after the Exhibition Showcase."

"Oh. I see..."

It was awkwardly silent yet again. Foster wasn't sure if Aria's response was good news or bad news for his crush, or their relationship. Finally, after a couple of minutes, Aria spoke up again.

"Look, if it's any comfort to you, Foster, it doesn't matter what I will say to you, or what happens leading up to that moment." She gently placed a hand on his shoulder. "Know this: you'll _always_ be my friend. No matter what."

Foster looked up at her, smiling a small smile. Immense relief from Aria's words was washing over him like a tidal wave.

"Wow. Thanks, Aria," he replied. "I'm...I'm glad you don't hate me at all."

Aria frowned. "What have I been telling you?"

"Heh heh heh, yes, yes, I know." Foster resumed washing the dishes; all the while, his smile was widening considerably. "I'm so sorry, Ar. I was just afraid that being Kalos Queen has gotten to your head."

"It would be unbecoming of a Kalos Queen if that were so!" Aria joined her friend in the dish-washing as well. "And besides, I don't think you're not a dirty farmhand."

Foster looked at her hopefully. "You think so?"

Aria smiled. "Uh-huh. I think what you do is fantastic."

The farmhand looked back at the dishes, though his demeanor was now absentminded. Though his crush was revealed to her prematurely, the resulting conversation was going even better than he had ever anticipated. The boy started to bob his head to an unheard tune, as he washed his latest dish with surprising finesse.

Meanwhile, Aria looked down at her latest dish, but the redheaded girl was not washing it. Instead, she looked at her reflection in the grimy glass, and exhaled sadly.

* * *

**The local Pokémon Center**

Selene looked out of the window of her room, watching with awe as the raindrops coated the glass and the leaves of the bushes outside. Through the misty fog of rain, she could see some pedestrians running for cover, laughing heartily as they went along. Then, the seven-year-old girl looked behind her, where she saw Serena sleeping soundly on a sofa; her Braixen, Pancham, and Sylveon were all out and sleeping as well. Just a few minutes ago, she woke up to that scene.

After doing some thinking, Selene chose to walk across the room, towards the door. Taking one last look at her mother, the girl then opened the door as slowly and quietly as she could, and tiptoed out of the room. She looked around, quickly recognizing the Pokémon Center lobby, where several people were still at, awaiting updates on the condition of their poor Pokémon.

Then, Selene followed the signs pointing to the medical room and eventually found it. After looking over her shoulder to see if Summer, Nurse Joy, or Wigglytuff were around, the girl then entered. Inside, she found shelves and shelves of Poké Balls, in addition to a few beds holding what she presumed were wild Pokémon that were being treated for injuries.

Walking past these beds, Selene was able to find her beloved Pichu within a matter of seconds. She approached the Tiny Mouse Pokémon's bed and stared fondly at her as she slept contently. Still sporting a number of bruises, Pichu had a couple of tubes taped to her chest so they could monitor her heart rates, which sounded good, fortunately. Selene gently stroked Pichu's spiky ear for a quick moment before proceeding to the next bed.

On that bed, Celebi slept. Its right arm was bandaged and in a tiny sling, leading Selene to assume that it broke its limb after hitting that tree during the battle with the Pokémon Poachers. It looked as if the Time Travel Pokémon wouldn't be flying just yet.

"Hi, Celebi," Selene whispered fondly. "I just wanted to see if you were alright. I'm glad you weren't hurt that bad." She started to stroke one of its green antennae with a great amount of care and kindness. "Now don't you worry. I'll watch over you and keep you safe until you get all better. And then we'll all go home. I promise. And believe me, I never break my promises. After all, it's bad if you do."

"Biiiii..." Celebi whispered in its sleep, looking more comfortable now that it was feeling Selene's touch.

Selene smiled, all the while feeling an instinctual urge to cuddle the Pokémon, as she would always do with any Pokémon she perceived as adorable. But she remembered her parents' lessons on treating injured Pokémon with utmost care and caution. So, she just continued stroking Celebi's antenna for several minutes. Finally, once she was satisfied about the Time Travel Pokémon's condition, she stopped and quietly left the medical room, giving Pichu one last look as she did so.

She quickly found her way back to her own room and entered. As she prepared to close the door behind her, she thought she saw what appeared to be a Skiploom with a miniature flashlight and something else attached to it, levitating upward and away from the window. At first, Selene wanted to dismiss it as an illusion caused by the misty showers outside, but a horrible feeling swept over her, and she nervously peeked through the door as it lay ajar.

At first, she didn't see anything in the lobby. Then, the doors slid open, and in stepped...

Eyes widening with terror, Selene whimpered fearfully and held her legs together. She was nearly about to wet herself. She was hoping she would not see him again so soon.

"Good evening, sir..." droned the exhausted secretary, not intimidated by Parker's appearance at all. "Welcome to the Kiloude Pokémon Center. What can I do to help you today...?"

"My daughter and her Pokémon are here, ma'am," Parker replied. His voice was still stern and professional, though the secretary was way too exhausted by the earlier workloads to exhibit any sort of other reaction. "I would like to see them, please."

"What is the name of the patient...?"

"Selene. Selene Ketchum."

Her teeth chattering with fear, Selene slowly and quietly closed the door, ran over to Serena's side, and started shaking the Performer's body.

"Mommy, please wake up!" she whispered urgently. "Mommy, Mommy!"

"H-Huh...?" To Selene's relief, it didn't take long for Serena to wake up, though she was quite groggy. "Oh, Selene... Wh-Wha... What time is it...?"

Selene's lower lip quivered as she held back her tears. "Mommy, he's here... The bad man is here..."

"Wha...?" Then, Serena's mind properly processed the words, and all sleepiness immediately disappeared from her face. "Wait, what?!"

Selene just pointed towards the door with a shaky finger. Serena's expression hardened with seriousness, and the Performer walked towards the door, just as Braixen, Pancham, and Sylveon were all starting to awaken as well. She slowly cracked the door open a little and peeked through it.

Parker was still in the lobby, waiting with growing impatience as the secretary continued to sort through the patient list. The water from the rain was still dripping from his body, the noises of it unsettling to any mind. Serena quickly closed the door again, momentarily wondering where Summer and Nurse Joy were. Then, the honey-blonde teenager looked at Selene.

"Hide under the bed now," she ordered in a low voice. "Hide under the bed now!" Selene nodded and immediately did what she was told. Then, Serena looked at her three Pokémon. "Are you all ready?" Braixen, Pancham, and Sylveon all smiled and nodded loyally. "Alright, good. Then let's get this poacher. Together."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaaaannnnnddddd...CLIFFHANGER! Whatever will happen next?! Stay tuned to find out!
> 
> So here we have a chapter that takes a little break from last chapter's action and updates you all on the present-day shenanigans. We actually have a developing romance between Aria and Foster, Amelia and Adam continue to plot behind Serena's back, and we finally have confirmation that Ash is Selene's father! Surprise, surprise...
> 
> And to top it off, Parker has found the place where Celebi is staying at, with only Serena standing in his way, apparently! Now, you can expect another action-packed, adrenaline-filled sequence in the next chapter!
> 
> Oh, and in case any of you didn't know, the girl at the beginning of the chapter, Alouette, is yet another one of Serena's fellow Performers! Yes, I'm trying to fit the ENTIRE peanut gallery into this story somehow. And yes, she's the one with the Furfrou who was introduced in "A Showcase Debut!".
> 
> Well, hope you enjoyed this chapter! TheCartoonFanatic01 is out. PEACE!


	9. Pokémon Center Attack

**Room 30025, the Blue Suns Deluxe Hotel**

Out of nowhere, Ash's auburn eyes flew open, and the raven-haired Trainer shot up on his luxury bed, gasping in shock. In the process, Pikachu fell out of the bed, startled, his sleep interrupted so suddenly. Ash's other Pokémon, who were lying by his bedside, all turned to their Trainer with looks of concern and confusion.

"Pikapi?!" the Mouse Pokémon exclaimed.

Hearing Ash's gasp and Pikachu's cry, Clemont quickly sat up on his bed, while Bonnie's eyes fluttered open groggily.

"Wha...What _happened_...?" Bonnie asked with exhaustion.

"Nene..." moaned the nearby Dedenne.

"A-Ash?!" Clemont asked, getting out of the bed and approaching his friend. "A-Are you okay? What happened?!"

"Something's...Something's very wrong..." Ash replied, panting. His hand moved instinctively to his chest, over his heart, as he looked out of the dew-coated window. "We gotta get to the Pokémon Center, fast!"

* * *

**The local Pokémon Center**

Heaving out a heavy sigh of irritation, Parker leaned against the secretary's desk and tapped his foot impatiently, all the while looking around the lobby for any possible signs of Celebi's presence. Meanwhile, the exhausted, disaffected woman was still poring through the patient list, searching for Selene Ketchum's name.

As he continued looking, Parker noticed several of the people in the lobby giving him strange and intimidated looks. He ignored those expressions; after all, people always looked at him that way, and he didn't mind that trait of his one bit. In fact, it brought him some comfort knowing he definitely wasn't in some strange dimension where human emotions were a little backwards.

"Yes, yes, Selene Ketchum..." the secretary said. "She's in Room 6, sir."

She pointed towards the aforementioned room, and Parker narrowed his eyes at the door. He couldn't wait to get his hands on that wretched little girl and show her a piece of his mind.

"Thank you, ma'am," he said, his voice a near-snarl as he lowered the sunglasses on his head and pressed a minuscule button on the side-frame. "Your help is very much appreciated..."

"You're very welcome, sir..." the woman droned nonchalantly, completely ignoring Parker as the poacher stalked towards Room 6.

As Parker walked up to the door, the technology of his sunglasses booted up; at the corners of his lenses, a heart monitor, some miniature screens and numbers, and a menu popped up. He pressed the button on the side-frame again; within a split-second, he had infrared vision. Then, he adjusted his vision.

The first thing the Pokémon Poacher saw through the door was Serena, Braixen, Pancham, and Sylveon all waiting for him.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the door, Serena saw the shadows of Parker's legs through the crack underneath the door. When the shadows did not move, and the door did not open, the Performer realized that Parker must've known there was a trap waiting for him.

"Braixen, use Flamethrower!" she commanded.

Braixen fired a stream of flames through the door. But once the fire subsided and the smoke cleared, Serena saw no one through the hole the attack left behind. Though she _did_ hear gasps and cries of shock from the lobby...

"Is the bad man gone, Mommy?" Selene asked from underneath the bed.

Suddenly, the door flew off its hinges, and Serena and her Pokémon narrowly dodged it as it slammed over to the other side of the room. Moments later, Parker stepped into the room, followed by his Trevenant, who had just used its Wood Hammer attack. Serena and her Pokémon all stood back up and positioned themselves between Selene and the poacher, using their bodies as shields.

"So, it seems the legends about Celebi are true," Parker said. "It _did_ take me to the past." His brow furrowed seriously as he examined Serena from head to toe. "I will admit, twenty years ago or not, you're still a bit of a sight to look at...Serena Gabena."

Serena's eyes narrowed menacingly. "I assume we've met before...or should I say, we will meet again...?" she said.

"Oh no, we have not met before. Not directly. ...I'll just say that you will be...a star of your time. But your daughters..." Parker's eyes darkened hatefully as he stared underneath the bed; Selene retreated further into her shelter upon noticing his glare. "Your daughters have been extreme nuisances to me and my business, especially in the last few hours. And I don't think it'll take a genius to figure out where that comes from in the family." He snapped his fingers. "Trevenant, use Phantom Force!"

Trevenant abruptly disappeared from sight. Before Braixen, Pancham, and Sylveon could figure out where it might reappear, the Elder Tree Pokémon popped up at their left and violently swiped at them with its arms. Serena gasped in horror as her Pokémon were sent flying in all directions, with Braixen smashing through the wall and landing in the next patient room.

"Are you guys alright?!" she cried. When Braixen, Pancham, and Sylveon all responded in the affirmative, she smiled. "Okay! Pancham, use Dark Pulse!"

The Playful Pokémon nodded and created a sphere of unstable, whirring black-and-purple circles in each of his hands. He then combined these spheres, and out from the product came a series of these same circles, shaped like a beam. The beam of circles barreled towards Trevenant; the Elder Tree Pokémon tried to dodge it, but couldn't due to the limited space of Room 6. As a result, it was sent flying into the other wall.

"Alright!" Serena exclaimed. "Sylveon, follow it up with Fairy Wind!"

Sylveon pulled her feelers together, and the air around them started to glow light-blue. She then shot her feelers outward, spreading them wide open and subsequently sending a strong gust of wind at Trevenant. The force of the attack caused the portion of the wall in which Trevenant was half-buried in to shatter and collapse upon the Elder Tree Pokémon before it could react.

But that wasn't the end for Trevenant. With a roar of defiance, it burst out from underneath the rubble, its single red eye glowing brightly with fury. It fired a barrage of Will-O-Wisps, which circled their way towards Pancham and Sylveon.

"Braixen, use Fire Blast on the Will-O-Wisps!" Serena commanded.

Braixen used her wand-like stick to shoot out fire shaped like a kanjī symbol, which overwhelmed the Will-O-Wisp and then exploded in a shower of harmless embers. However, once the embers cleared out, Trevenant charged forward, the small horn-like gnarl on its forehead glowing a sickly green color. The gnarl struck Pancham, who let out a drawn-out cry of pain as green orbs of energy started flowing out of his body and into said gnarl.

"Oh, no!" Serena cried. "That's Horn Leech! Quickly, Braixen, use Flamethrower on Trevenant! Sylveon, use Swift!"

Braixen fired the Flamethrower, while Sylveon jumped into the air and slashed at the air with her tail, releasing multiple yellow stars with golden sparkles around them. The Swift attack bombarded Trevenant first, and while it was distracted away from Pancham, the Flamethrower hit the Elder Tree Pokémon next, scorching its body.

"There you go!" exclaimed Serena. She then ran up to Pancham and picked him up in concern. "Are you okay, Pancham?" When Pancham nodded weakly, but determinedly, she smiled. "That's good."

Serena then looked at Trevenant, which was still moving despite being hit by a super-effective attack. Apparently, Parker trained his Pokémon to be really strong if it didn't take that long for a Horn Leech to drain a good amount of Pancham's energy. She needed to be more careful now-

Her thoughts were cut off when another section of the wall next to her exploded. Parker's Chesnaught charged into the room and attacked Sylveon with Wood Hammer.

"SYLVEON!" Serena screamed as the Intertwining Pokémon slammed her body hard against another wall. She then glared at Parker, who she realized had called out Chesnaught while she was preoccupied with Trevenant. "You're a coward if you resort to dirty tricks like that!"

"Yeah!" Selene cried from underneath the bed. "You tell him, Mommy!"

"I'm a Pokémon Poacher, little girl," Parker replied indifferently. "Dirty tricks is the name of the game."

All of a sudden, Sylveon hopped on top of Selene's bed, severely bruised but otherwise fine. She chirped angrily at Parker, Chesnaught, and Trevenant before hopping off the bed and joining Serena's side. As for Braixen, she joined her Trainer's other side, while Pancham hopped in front of the honey-blonde, looking a little weak in the legs but otherwise still ready to fight back. The Performer smiled at her Pokémon before all four glared at their opponents.

"You may play dirty," Serena said, "but it doesn't matter to my Pokémon and I! We're going to protect Selene and Celebi from you no matter what you do to us!"

Suddenly, Parker's sunglasses glinted craftily. "Ahhhhh, so Celebi is here too, huh...?" He relished in Serena's paling face for a moment before continuing. "I didn't really expect that pathetic little girl to take a rare and valuable Pokémon, such as Celebi, to a Pokémon Center like this, but I guess this just makes my job _easier_..."

Serena's sapphire-blue eyes narrowed, and she snarled furiously, "Don't call Selene a pathetic little girl..."

Parker chuckled jeeringly. "Ah, already embracing the role of the mother, aren't you? Even though you're obviously not yet qualified-"

"I might as well start practicing, now that I know it's a guarantee I'll be having children in the future!"

"You best be careful." As Parker spoke, Chesnaught and Trevenant prepared to launch their attacks. "A young kid like you tackling the responsibilities of parenthood is bound to be a bad mix-"

"USE RAZOR WIND!" a voice commanded.

Three different Razor Wind attacks struck Chesnaught and Trevenant, knocking both Grass-type Pokémon to the ground. Serena smiled with relief when Summer arrived at the scene, wielding a strange device with an antenna (she believed Ash fleetingly called it a Capture Styler). The Pokémon Ranger was flanked by two Fletchling and a Fletchinder.

"Summer!" the Performer cried.

"Sorry I'm late!" Summer replied, winking. "I heard all the commotion but I had to find some Pokémon to capture! It's a good thing I found these three camping in a tree nearby!"

"A Pokémon Ranger, huh?" Parker remarked as his Pokémon stood back up. "Huh, I guess you guys haven't gotten extinct at this time."

The Ranger's eyelid twitched. "What'd you say...?"

"Well, that's for me to know and for you to find out." Then, Parker pointed at Serena and Summer. "Chesnaught, give everything you've got on Gabena! Trevenant, you handle that pathetic Ranger!"

"Hey, I resent that remark!"

Chesnaught charged towards Braixen, Pancham, and Sylveon with a Wood Hammer-powered arm, while Trevenant fired Will-O-Wisp at the Fletchling and Fletchinder. However, Braixen, Pancham, and Sylveon managed to dodge Chesnaught's attack; while Fletchling and Fletchinder used Razor Wind to cut apart the Will-O-Wisps before they could hit them.

Underneath the bed, Selene watched with awe as Serena and Summer's Pokémon battled Chesnaught and Trevenant, using everything they had against their opponents. It was just like all the adventures her parents told her as bedtime stories. They and their friends would always help and defend people and Pokémon in need, as well as fight those who tried to abuse the powers of certain Pokémon for their own gain. It was so exciting, to bear witness to one of these adventures...

Then, at the corner of her eye, Selene saw Parker silently sneaking away from the scene of the battlefield. He was pulling out a small cube...that expanded to form the same kind of steel cage he had been keeping Celebi in!

 _"Celebi!"_ Selene thought.

The girl scrambled out from the bed and ran through the hole in the wall created by Chesnaught, just in time to see Parker approaching the door to the medical room.

"STOP RIGHT THERE, MEANIE!" she shouted.

"SELENE!" Serena cried in concern.

Parker merely grunted with annoyance and raised his right arm. The watch wrapped around his wrist transformed into a tiny dart-gun, which fired a single green dart towards Selene. The girl froze in place and could only watch the dart heading towards her at high speeds-

A blur of black and white intercepted the dart and collapsed to the floor. Selene and Serena both gasped in horror.

"PANCHAM!" Serena screamed in distress, but the Playful Pokémon did not move.

"What a waste," Parker said, sneering as the dart-gun transformed back into his wristwatch.

"Oh no, Pancham!" exclaimed Selene.

The seven-year-old girl leaned forward and saw the dart protruding from Pancham's shoulder. She then grabbed the dart, fully intent on pulling it out and saving the Playful Pokémon somehow.

"NO, WAIT!" Summer suddenly cried, having just noticed this.

But it was too late: Selene pulled the dart out, and it exploded a second later into a billowing cloud of green smoke that filled the hallway and Room 6, obscuring everyone's vision. Selene, Serena, Summer, and their remaining Pokémon all started coughing, giving Chesnaught and Trevenant a great opportunity to join Parker's sides.

"Good job, you two," the Pokémon Poacher said before facing the door to the medical room. "Now, let's-" He stopped short when his infrared vision detected something disconcerting on the other side. "Oh, f-"

He was cut off when a blur of light-pink and white burst through the door and tackled him, Chesnaught, and Trevenant. All three were thrown away the medical room and into the green smoke. Sensing this, Braixen used Flamethrower, which hit Trevenant again, scorching its body. It howled in pain and tried to retaliate with Wood Hammer, but missed because its vision was obscured by the smoke.

"Oh, curses..." Parker snarled. He pulled out a small green capsule and threw it to the floor; it exploded with a burst of air, clearing the smoke away within a couple of seconds. He then glared at the doorway of the medical room, where he found Nurse Joy and her trusty Wigglytuff standing defiantly.

"You're not getting that Celebi!" the nurse shouted loudly. "Nor are you bringing your evil into this Pokémon Center!"

"Unfortunately for you, I just did." Parker pointed at Wigglytuff. "Trevenant, use-"

"Braixen, use Fire Blast, quickly!" Serena ordered suddenly. "Sylveon, use Swift!"

With a bark, the Fox Pokémon fired the attack, which struck and severely injured both Trevenant and Chesnaught. As for Sylveon, she fired her own attack, which hit both opponents as they were falling to the ground.

"Yeah, Braixen!" Selene cheered, smiling with excitement as she held Pancham on her lap.

"This isn't over! Not by a long shot!" Parker pulled out a Poké Ball (which Serena noticed was a Great Ball) and threw it, unleashing his Shiny Sceptile. "SCEPTILE, USE LEAF BLADE! CHESNAUGHT, USE WOOD HAMMER!"

Chesnaught charged towards Braixen, Sylveon, the two Fletchling, and Fletchinder with its Wood Hammer, while Sceptile followed behind it with glowing green blades protruding from its wrists.

"Braixen, use Fire Blast again!" Serena ordered. "Sylveon, use Fairy Wind!"

"Fletchinder, use Flame Charge!" commanded Summer. "Fletchling, you both use Razor Wind!"

"Wigglytuff, use Double Slap!" shouted Nurse Joy.

Braixen, Sylveon, and the Fletchling fired their respective attacks, while Wigglytuff ran towards Sceptile and Chesnaught, and Fletchinder swooped towards the incoming Grass-type Pokémon, its body enveloped in flames. Both Grass-types dodged the Flame Charge, then Chesnaught slammed its Wood Hammer down on the Fire Blast. This triggered an explosion that caused Wigglytuff to flinch, allowing Chesnaught to bombard it with a barrage of Seed Bombs that severely injured it.

Meanwhile, Sceptile leaped through the subsequent cloud of smoke and slashed at the incoming Fairy Wind and Razor Wind attacks with one of its Leaf Blades, causing even more explosions. Finally, the Forest Pokémon slashed its remaining Leaf Blade downward upon the two Fletchling, knocking them to the ground.

"Oh no, Fletchling!" Selene exclaimed as she heard the two Tiny Robin Pokémon squawk with pain.

"Trevenant!" Parker called.

On cue, the Elder Tree Pokémon charged forward and used its own Wood Hammer, attacking the two Fletchling with it. Fletchinder tried to intercept with its Flame Charge, but Trevenant turned around and hit it with Wood Hammer as well. Though it wasn't a super-effective attack, Fletchinder was still sent flying...towards the waiting Sceptile.

"Use Leaf Blade again, while its Flame Charge is subsided!" shouted the poacher.

The Forest Pokémon formed its two wrist-mounted blades again and made an X-shaped slashing motion with them. The Fletchinder was hit and sent tumbling to the floor. Serena's eyes widened with shock, before they narrowed again with fury.

"Braixen, use Fire Blast again!" she cried. "Sylveon, use Fairy Wind again!"

"Chesnaught, use Spiky Shield!" Parker ordered.

Chesnaught slammed its fists together, and a circular shield emerged from its forearms. After enveloping both its owner, Sceptile, and Trevenant, the shield then produced a green force-field adorned with spikes, which protected all three Pokémon from the Fire Blast and Fairy Wind. Serena hoped the combination of Braixen's and Sylveon's attacks would be effective enough to penetrate the Grass-type defensive move, but the honey-blonde and her friends were in for a shock when the smoke dissipated and revealed an unscathed Chesnaught, Sceptile, and Trevenant.

"I am _really_ losing my patience with this nonsense..." Parker snarled. "Chesnaught, Trevenant, remain here and take care of them." After Chesnaught and Trevenant nodded at him, he glared at Nurse Joy, who was tending to her injured Wigglytuff. "Sceptile!"

Nurse Joy's eyes widened with fear as the Forest Pokémon joined its Trainer's side. She thought he was going to order Sceptile to finish off Wigglytuff, or worse...but she noticed the dismissive expression on the poacher's face.

"Let's get our paycheck," Parker said, looking away from the nurse and into the medical room. "Once and for all."

He turned off his sunglasses's infrared vision and stepped inside the room, followed closely by Sceptile. Upon entering, they were greeted by the sights of shelves holding dozens of Poké Balls each. But Parker looked away from them with disinterest, instead focusing on the beds occupied by the wild Pokémon. It didn't take long for the Pokémon Poacher to find Celebi's bed. Upon spotting the slumbering Time Travel Pokémon, he sneered.

"Bingo."

* * *

As Summer knelt down to the floor to check on Fletchinder and the two Fletchling, Serena and Braixen both ran over to Selene, who was cradling Sylveon.

"Sylveon!" the honey-blonde cried, taking the Intertwining Pokémon from the little girl. "Sylveon, are you okay?!"

To her relief, she could feel Sylveon breathing, and the Intertwining Pokémon eventually moaned uncomfortably. At that moment, Nurse Joy ran up to the others.

"He's in the medical room!" she shouted.

Selene gasped and covered her mouth. "That's where Celebi is!" she cried.

Serena looked towards the direction of the medical room, but the doorway was blocked by Chesnaught and Trevenant. Both Pokémon were staring daggers at the group, waiting for them to make their next move. Serena narrowed her eyes at them; they were clearly powerful if they were able to withstand attacks that would otherwise be super-effective. Then, she looked at Nurse Joy, who had begun tending Summer's fallen Fletchinder.

"How are Fletchinder and Fletchling?" she asked.

"I'm afraid they won't be of much use now," Nurse Joy replied. "Those Pokémon did quite a number on them."

Serena looked down at Pancham with a look of concern before placing her down on the floor. "Alright, then. Nurse Joy, take care of my Pancham too, please."

"Okay, but what are you gonna do?"

"I'm gonna keep fighting with Braixen and Sylveon." Serena looked at her old starter Pokémon and her Intertwining Pokémon, who both smiled confidently at her. "We're gonna stop that guy before he gets away with Celebi."

"Sounds like the only good option we have left," Summer replied. The Ranger then looked at Nurse Joy. "I'll make sure all the other patients here are evacuated."

Nurse Joy nodded. "Good. But what about all the Pokémon in the medical room? What if he-?"

"He's only after Celebi," Serena interrupted. "But I promise you, Nurse Joy, we'll make sure all the Pokémon there are safe."

"Okay, okay..."

"I wanna help, I wanna help!" Selene exclaimed, tugging at her future mother's vest. "Please, Mommy!"

"Nuh-uh, no way José!" Summer cried, picking up the seven-year-old. "I can think of ten or twenty reasons why that would be a very bad idea, Selene! You're staying with me!"

"But-!"

"Summer's right, Selene," Serena interrupted. "It's too dangerous for you to be around any longer. You have to stay with Summer and Nurse Joy." When Selene looked down at the floor sadly, the Performer smiled slightly and patted her head. "Don't worry. I'll make sure Celebi's safe, first and foremost. And I promise, when this is all done, we'll do anything you want. How does that sound?"

Selene looked up at Serena, surprised by the offer. But it didn't take long for her to consider the offer and smile happily.

"Okay!" she said. "I wanna see you perform after you're done!"

Serena smiled back at her future daughter. "Alright. It's a done deal!" She then looked at Braixen and Sylveon. "Alright, Braixen, Sylveon. Let's do this."

"Braixen brai!" barked the Fox Pokémon, twirling her wand-like stick in the process.

"Sylvie!" Sylveon crooned, her feelers extending slightly.

"Good luck, Mommy..." Selene said as Summer led her away from the hallway.

After taking one last look at the little girl, Serena, Braixen, and Sylveon all looked at Chesnaught and Trevenant, who were waiting for them both. Serena frowned angrily and pointed at the two Grass-type Pokémon.

"Let's make this count for Pancham, guys!" she cried. "Braixen, use Fire Blast! Sylveon, use Swift!"

Braixen and Sylveon fired their attack, but Chesnaught used Spiky Shield again on itself and Trevenant. As a result, the Fire Blast and Swift hit the spike-adorned force-field again, exploding without affecting either Grass-type at all. When the Spiky Shield subsided, Chesnaught fired a barrage of Seed Bombs, all of which landed on the ground in front of Serena and her two Pokémon, blinding them with dark smoke.

"AGH!" Serena cried as she covered her eyes with her arms. On the side, she could hear Braixen and Sylveon groan and cough with annoyance.

When the smoke dissipated, Serena, Braixen, and Sylveon saw Chesnaught standing there, but no Trevenant.

"Huh?" The honey-blonde and her Pokémon looked around frantically. "Where'd that Trevenant go...?"

Her question was answered almost a second later, when Trevenant appeared right behind Sylveon and swiped at her powerfully with one of its claws. The Intertwining Pokémon howled with pain as she was slammed into the wall to her left.

"SYLVEON!" she shouted.

Sylveon whimpered weakly and struggled to get up, but she collapsed back to the floor as soon as she could stand up on her paws. Then, Serena looked up at Trevenant as it towered over her, prepared to attack her as well...

"Braaaaaiiiii... **XEN!** "

From Serena's side, Braixen fired a powerful Flamethrower at the Elder Tree Pokémon. Surprised by this development, Trevenant didn't have enough time to dodge it, and so it was hit head-on by the stream of fire.

It roared in pain and stumbled away, its body covered in crackling, red-hot flames. Chesnaught gasped for its comrade and tried to do all it could to fan the flames by using its Vine Whip. However, the flames eventually overwhelmed the Elder Tree Pokémon, who had been on the receiving end of one too many Fire-type attacks, and it finally collapsed to the floor, out for the count.

"Yeah, Braixen!" Serena cheered, smiling and raising her fist in support for her starter Pokémon. Braixen looked at her Trainer and returned her smile with one of her own.

Meanwhile, Chesnaught, outraged at the defeat of its partner, fired another barrage of Seed Bombs, which Braixen countered with another Flamethrower. As soon as the Fire-type attack burned away all of the Seed Bombs, Chesnaught instinctively activated its Spiky Shield move again; like before, it protected the Spiny Armor Pokémon without a hitch.

However, once the Spiky Shield dissipated, Serena ordered, "SYLVEON, USE SWIFT!"

The Intertwining Pokémon quickly shrugged off her injuries and fired a barrage of Swift at Chesnaught. It didn't have enough time to reactivate the Spiky Shield, and thus got hit by the golden stars of energy. While the Spiny Armor Pokémon stumbled backward, Serena pointed at it.

"NOW FOLLOW IT UP WITH FIRE BLAST, BRAIXEN!"

The Fox Pokémon fired another kanji-shaped burst of fire at Chesnaught, but it recovered just in time to leap powerfully through the ceiling and avoid the attack. Before Serena had time to think about where Chesnaught could've gone next, the entire hallway ceiling started to collapse.

"AGH!" the Performer screamed in surprise.

Serena, Braixen, and Sylveon all began sprinting towards the entrance, all the while hearing the sounds of collapsing rubble behind them. They passed the now-vacant secretarial desk, through the empty lobby, and went right outside into the streets unharmed. The rain was still pouring, a little harder this time, but there were still some pedestrians outside.

She could also see miniature flashlights in the wet, misty air, for some strange reason...

Just as they stopped to look behind them, someone screamed in shock.

The Spiny Armor Pokémon leaped from the ceiling and towards the trio, Wood Hammers sticking out from both of its wrists. Serena and Braixen managed to avoid Chesnaught, but Sylveon wasn't so lucky.

"OH NO, SYLVEON!" Serena cried as she saw Sylveon crash into a nearby tree. Chesnaught twirled its left Wood Hammer around cockily before retracting it.

Serena and Braixen both ran up to Sylveon as quickly as they could, but were dismayed to see she had been knocked unconscious by Chesnaught's latest attack. Sighing sadly, the honey-blonde teenager knelt down, pulled out a Poké Ball, and recalled the Intertwining Pokémon.

"You did really great, Sylveon," she said comfortingly. "Now have a good rest." She then glared angrily at Chesnaught. "Braixen and I will take care of things from here..."

Serena stood up, wiping her wet skirt in the process, and examined the Spiny Armor Pokémon from head to toe. Despite all of the attacks it had to endure in just a short amount of time, Chesnaught just had a very hard time going down. It had to be one of the toughest Pokémon she had ever faced, despite her having a Pokémon with the type advantage. ...Then again, Parker took his Shiny Sceptile with him; who knows how powerful that Pokémon was...?

Without warning, Chesnaught charged towards them, its right Wood Hammer still ready.

"Braixen, use Flamethrower!" Serena commanded.

Braixen fired the attack, but both the Fox Pokémon and her Trainer were horrified to see the rain diminish its power, allowing Chesnaught to burst through it unscathed. At that moment, Serena realized Chesnaught had that planned all along. Now they were fighting in an environment totally undesirable for Braixen's powers, and Sylveon was no longer there for additional support!

But they weren't out of the running just yet! Not by a long shot!

"Alright, Braixen!" she cried. "Use Hidden Power!"

The Fox Pokémon formed a light-blue sphere of energy in her paws and then fired it at her opponent. Chesnaught was hit squarely in the chest and knocked over to the ground. Serena smiled, relieved to know there was at least one attack Braixen could effectively use in this environment.

"Do it again, Braixen!" she ordered determinedly.

Braixen fired another sphere, which hit Chesnaught as it attempted to stand up. Roaring with rage, the Spiny Armor Pokémon shot out two vines from within its shell. One of them twirled around in the air, keeping Braixen's attention occupied, while the other snaked stealthily on the ground before wrapping itself around the Fox Pokémon's hind paws and yanking hard. Knocked to the ground, Braixen let out a squeal of a bark, horrified at getting its well-groomed fur dirtied up by the muddy ground.

"Braixen, try using Flamethrower to free yourself!" Serena cried.

Braixen did so, and since she was in very close range, the Flamethrower was powerful enough to scorch the vines and force them to retreat back into Chesnaught's shell. But the Spiny Armor Pokémon quickly stood up and fired Seed Bomb again, bombarding the Fox Pokémon before she could have a chance to dodge them.

Serena couldn't believe it as she watched her old starter Pokémon struggle to stand up. She was already down to her last Pokémon, and she had to defeat this extremely sturdy Chesnaught before moving on to Parker and his Sceptile. And who knew how tough that potential next round would be?! She couldn't do this without Sylveon and Pancham! Nor any assistance in general! But how was she gonna get help? Now, she had no way of getting back into the Pokémon Center and calling for Clemont, Bonnie, her mother, Ash...

She watched as Chesnaught stood up and prepared to strike with Wood Hammer...

"USE WATER SHURIKEN!"

A massive shuriken of water spun through the air and hit Chesnaught, sending it flying into the wall of the Pokémon Center. Gasping with relief and delight, Serena twirled around her to see Ash and Greninja running up to her; Greninja was in its Ash-Greninja form.

"Serena!" Ash cried as he approached her. "Are you okay?!"

"I'm fine!" replied Serena. "I'm alright, Ash! In fact, I'm better than alright, now that you're here!"

"Awesome!" Then, the Trainer frowned seriously. "I just heard the news from Summer. One of those poachers is here, right?"

"Yeah! I think he took off with Celebi!" Serena glared at Chesnaught, who was unfortunately still able to fight. "And he left behind this Chesnaught as a distraction."

Ash smiled determinedly again. "Alright. Then we'll take him on, together!"

Serena looked at her crush again, astounded at first. Then, she smiled determinedly as well and replied, "Right! We'll do it together!"

Then, both Trainers looked at Chesnaught confidently and shouted loudly at the same time, "GRENINJA/BRAIXEN, USE AERIAL ACE/HIDDEN POWER!"

Braixen fired yet another light-blue sphere of energy, which hit Chesnaught in the shoulder. Then, while it was flinching from the pain, Greninja charged forward and hit the Spiny Armor Pokémon hard with its glowing arms. Roaring with a mixture of fury and pain from its injuries, Chesnaught retaliated with a swing of its Wood Hammer. But Greninja was too quick, thanks to sharing Ash's senses and feelings; instinctively, it jumped on the Wood Hammer and used it to launch itself into the air.

"Greninja, use Cut!" Ash ordered.

"Follow it up with another Hidden Power, Braixen!" added Serena.

As it fell, Greninja formed two blue, kunai-shaped blades in each of its hands. Then, once it got within a good distance from Chesnaught, the Ninja Pokémon struck the opponent one, two, three, four, many times with the blades as it continued to reach the ground. A white trail of aura-like energy was left behind the blades as they moved within split-seconds. Then, as soon as Greninja landed on the ground, it ducked down without looking, allowing Braixen's Hidden Power to hit Chesnaught while it was still reeling from the multiple slashes.

Roaring again, Chesnaught started swinging its Wood Hammer wildly while firing Seed Bombs indiscriminately. Serena and Ash yelled out as they dodged some of the Seed Bombs.

"Use Water Shuriken, Greninja!" commanded Ash.

Greninja flung another Water Shuriken at Chesnaught, but the Spiny Armor Pokémon slammed downward on it with its Wood Hammer, crushing it before it could land a solid hit. Then, Chesnaught let out another Wood Hammer on its unoccupied wrist, and it smashed the two Wood Hammers together, taunting the Trainers and their Pokémon to make the next move.

"What're we gonna do?!" exclaimed Serena. "Chesnaught just won't stop!"

"I've got an idea!" Ash cried. "Keep Chesnaught occupied with everything Braixen's got!"

The honey-blonde looked at her Fox Pokémon. "Y-Y-You heard him, Braixen! Give Chesnaught all you've got!"

Braixen nodded and fired Flamethrowers, Fire Blasts, and Hidden Powers at Chesnaught, all in varying orders, even though their powers were mitigated by the pouring rain. Chesnaught was quick to protect itself with Spiky Shield all the while. In the meantime, Ash directed Greninja via their mental connection to move behind the Spiny Armor Pokémon as it struggled to endure and fend off Braixen's attacks. At first, Serena didn't know what Ash had planned, but then, the gears of her mind quickly clicked into place when she saw Greninja position itself on top of the Pokémon Center roof.

"Alright, stop it, Braixen!" she cried.

Braixen obeyed her Trainer, ceasing her barrage of attacks immediately. Chesnaught was quick to deactivate its Spiky Shield and prepare to put its Wood Hammers to good use.

"USE AERIAL ACE, GRENINJA!" commanded Ash.

Greninja leaped off the roof and fell towards Chesnaught, its arms glowing light-blue again. The Spiny Armor Pokémon raised one of its Wood Hammers and tried to strike Greninja with it, but the Ninja Pokémon once again used it to propel its body closer to Chesnaught. Before Chesnaught could react, Greninja struck it straight in the face with Aerial Ace, then somersaulted back to Ash, Serena, and Braixen.

The quartet watched as the Spiny Armor Pokémon stumbled about, feeling the weight of the injuries inflicted by these combo-attacks. It glared hatefully at Greninja and tried to fire Seed Bombs at it, but it was small in quantity, and Greninja dodged it with embarrassing ease. Then, with one last groan, Chesnaught collapsed through the wall of the Pokémon Center, causing additional rubble to collapse upon it and bury it.

"YEAH!" Ash and Serena both cried in joy and triumph. "WE DID IT!" They then faced each other and, without warning, hugged one another as tightly as they could.

Fortunately for Ash, and unfortunately for Serena, their hug did not last long, for the two teenage Trainers were quick to break apart. Blushes of embarrassment and surprise were present on their cheeks. Greninja and Braixen could only look at their Trainers with utmost approval.

"W-Well..." Ash began, still startled that he and Serena made such a move, "l-let's go after that poacher!"

"Y-Ye-Yes," Serena stuttered, her blush brighter than her crush's. "L-Le-Let's!"

But before they could start moving, the rubble of the Pokémon Center suddenly exploded, showering the immediate area with pebbles and slabs of building material. With a powerful roar, Chesnaught rose up from the pile, its body completely enveloped in a sickly green aura. It gritted its teeth and stared down Greninja and Braixen, who both took up defensive positions.

"Chesnaught?!" Serena exclaimed, shocked to see the Spiny Armor Pokémon still conscious. "But...But _how_?!"

"Look at the green glow!" cried Ash. "It must be its Overgrow Ability."

Serena's blue eyes widened even more; Overgrow was a Grass-type Ability that always kicked in whenever the Pokémon in question was exhausted or weakened significantly. Now, Chesnaught's attacks would be even more powerful! How was she and Ash going to beat it now?!

Roaring mightily again, Chesnaught charged forward without the slightest hesitation. The ground shook with every stomp it took. At this point, the misty showers were starting to subside.

"Give it your all, Greninja!" Ash cried, his auburn eyes narrowing. "Don't hold back!"

"You too, Braixen!" commanded Serena. "Help Greninja out!"

Greninja and Braixen dashed toward the rapidly approaching Chesnaught. Once the two got within distance of their opponent, Greninja leaped into the air, one of its arms raised and glowing. Chesnaught looked upward at it, but had no time to defend itself when the Ninja Pokémon attacked it with its Aerial Ace. Then, while it was reeling, Braixen hit it with Hidden Power.

"Awesome!" hollered Ash. "Now use Cut, Greninja!"

Greninja slashed upwards with its other arm, striking Chesnaught across the chest. The Grass-type roared, materialized a Wood Hammer, and swung at it. But Greninja somersaulted out of the way, and Chesnaught slipped a little on the muddy ground while missing.

"Use Flamethrower while it's distracted, Braixen!" Serena ordered.

This time, Braixen's Flamethrower wasn't hindered by the rain. Now, it was strong enough to scorch Chesnaught's body for about a few seconds before being put out by the showers.

"Use Cut again!" Ash commanded.

While Chesnaught redirected its attention to Braixen, Greninja leaped up and slashed the Spiny Armor Pokémon's shell a few times, knocking it to the ground.

"Now use Hidden Power!" cried Serena.

The Fox Pokémon was quick to hit her opponent with the attack of her Trainer's choice. The Spiny Armor Pokémon was forcibly rolled over by the shock-wave of the light-blue sphere. But then, it stood back up, still ready to fight. Both of its Wood Hammers were out now, and it swung them at its opponents. Greninja and Braixen were both hit and sent flying; Greninja hit the Pokémon Center, while Braixen tumbled further down the sidewalk. Ash yelled out and nearly collapsed in pain at the impact Greninja suffered, but he regained his composure.

"USE AERIAL ACE, GRENINJA!"

"USE SCRATCH, BRAIXEN!"

Greninja and Braixen both charged at Chesnaught again, this time from each side. Chesnaught focused on Greninja first and fired Seed Bombs at it, but the Ninja Pokémon outmaneuvered them. Afterwards, Braixen reached Chesnaught first, much to its surprise, and scratched her opponent hard in the face with her right front paw. Then, Greninja caught up and hit the Grass-type Pokémon with Aerial Ace, while it was still reeling from Braixen's Scratch. Not unexpectedly, the Spiny Armor Pokémon roared out defiantly, the green glow of its body still bright.

"AGAIN!" Ash and Serena both called out.

Greninja and Braixen's hits were simultaneous and well-timed; Greninja hit Chesnaught's left side with Aerial Ace, while Braixen scratched its uninjured right side of the face. The Spiny Armor Pokémon fell over, but it sent out its vines without any difficulty. The vines wrapped themselves around its opponents, violently smashed them together like a baby playing with toy cars aimlessly, and threw them away casually like trash.

Ash yelled out again, clutched his chest, and fell to his knees, which Serena was quick to notice.

"ASH!" she cried. "Are-Are you okay?!"

"Ye-Yeah, I-I'm...I'm fine..." Ash replied with gritted teeth. He stood up and looked at Greninja, who was also standing up on its feet. "Greninja! Are you okay?!"

"Are you alright, Braixen?!" asked Serena.

Both Pokémon stood back up with some difficulty, but they gave their Trainers positive and determined looks. Soon after noticing their unwavering willpower, Ash smiled with just as much optimism.

"Good! Now let's keep fighting, you guys!" He looked at Chesnaught as it wiped massive amounts of sweat from its forehead. "Remember, we gotta defeat Chesnaught if we're gonna have any chance of reaching Celebi! We never give up till the end, got it?!"

Serena looked at him, taken aback by his last sentence at first. Then, she smiled with just as much confidence as Ash.

"Right!" she replied. "Never give up till the end! We keep fighting...for Celebi!"

Chesnaught growled with annoyance and charged yet again.

"USE WATER SHURIKEN!"

"USE FIRE BLAST!"

Both attacks were fired at the same time, with perhaps the most power both Pokémon could put into it. The dual combo hit Chesnaught with enough force to send it flying back into the Pokémon Center.

At that point, it finally stopped raining. The streets were now empty, save for Ash, Serena, Greninja, and Braixen. They couldn't hear any sounds beyond the chirping of the Kricketune.

"Did...Did we get it...?" Serena asked hesitantly.

"I don't know," Ash replied, staring into the ruins of the Pokémon Center with suspicion. "Let's go check."

The four rushed inside the totaled building, which now looked like as if a tornado had gone through it. It didn't take long for them to find Chesnaught's prone form, which had smashed through the wall behind the secretarial desk. It was half-buried in rubble, its eyes were closed, and one of its fingers was twitching occasionally. The green glow that signified its temporarily increased power was now absent.

"I think we defeated it, Ash!" exclaimed Serena with excitement.

"Hold on..." Ash whispered quietly.

The room went silent for a couple of seconds. At first, Serena didn't know why Ash wasn't so sure about Chesnaught's defeat. After all, she didn't hear anything coming from the Spiny Armor Pokémon, perhaps except a few pebbles that were sliding off its shifting arm-

Ash commanded loudly, "Quick, Greninja, use Aerial Ace!"

Chesnaught's eyelids flew open, and its vines shot out rapidly from its shell, but Greninja had already acted. It slammed its glowing arm down on Chesnaught's chest, and the Grass-type let out one last roar of pain and exhaustion before finally losing consciousness, the vines collapsing like a pile of bricks in the process.

"Oh, my goodness!" Serena exclaimed with surprise.

Ash wiped his nose and looked at the honey-blonde Performer. "Now we defeated it."

Serena briefly blushed a little at her crush, before looking towards the medical room.

"Now let's go check on Celebi!" she declared.

"Right behind you!"

The quartet rushed inside the room and were surprised to see it seemingly untouched. The Poké Balls were still safely placed on the shelves, and the beds were still occupied by Pokémon that were wild or were simply not contained in Poké Balls.

But as Serena and Ash continued to inspect the room, they realized that two certain beds were empty.

"Oh no, Celebi!" Serena exclaimed with worry. "And Selene's Pichu too!"

Ash then became the first to notice a decent-sized hole in the farthest wall. "The poacher must've gotten away with it," he replied. However, a wide and optimistic smile appeared on his face. "But don't worry, Serena! We've already got someone on it!"

The honey-blonde looked at him with surprise at the revelation. "We do?! Who?"

* * *

**Near the Star Inn  
Downtown Kiloude City**

Parker frowned disapprovingly as he disconnected the live feed on his sunglasses lens, which he was receiving from his scouts. His Chesnaught and Trevenant, his two main Pokémon, defeated by two pathetic little kids?! Though they may be the famous Ash Ketchum and Serena Gabena, these Trainers that he was facing were not in their prime yet. Only two reasons could logically explain this devastating loss: it was sheer dumb luck, or he and his team were starting to lose their edge...

 _"No,"_ he thought bitterly. _"It was dumb luck on their part. Dumb luck that defied all statistical odds. Anomalous luck. After all..."_ He then looked down at Celebi, who was unconscious and back in its steel cage. _"I have the target."_

Parker promptly pressed a button on his wristwatch, which he knew would signal his scouts to collect the unconscious Chesnaught and Trevenant. He then made a mental note to himself to discipline the two Pokémon for this latest failure.

The poacher then looked around. Now that the rain had stopped, there were now pedestrians mingling about on the sidewalks again, which was still strange because it was nighttime. But then again, who was he to judge the customs of Kiloude City? Besides, their presence gave him a perfect opportunity to slink away into the shadows undetected. He just needed to conceal Celebi's identity like he did the last time; they may not be looking at the steel cage, but he didn't want to leave absolutely anything to chance.

"PI-CHUUUUU!"

A small bolt of electricity hit the ground in front of Parker, stopping the poacher dead in his tracks. He twirled around and saw the pathetic little girl's Pichu standing there, its cheeks sparkling with electricity.

"Pichu pichu-PI!" it squeaked defiantly. But Parker smirked back at it.

"So, you think you can stop me all by yourself, you puny rodent?" he asked tauntingly, causing Pichu to start sweating nervously. "And why exactly would you take such a foolish risk?"

"Because it's _not_ alone!" a voice suddenly cried.

"Pika!"

Parker saw a group of Trainers and Pokémon running up to him and joining Pichu's sides. He immediately recognized the Trainers as the younger versions of Clemont and Bonnie Lem, Calem and Shauna Xavier, Tierno Tendre, and Trevor Trova. Parker couldn't help but wonder if the Universe was working against him right now, engineering these encounters in this specific time period.

"We see that Celebi you've got there!" Calem shouted. "Now let it go!"

"Yeah, let Celebi go, you meanie!" snapped Bonnie as she picked Pichu up from the ground. "Or you'll be very, very sorry!"

"Dedenne!" squeaked Dedenne in agreement. As for Squishy, it garbled angrily.

"Past or present, you accursed people are always the same!" Parker snarled in response, as he pulled out his Great Ball from his pocket. "But I'll be sure to crush all of you easily, especially now that I'm in this time period!" He threw the Great Ball. "Go, Sceptile! Prepare for battle!"

The Shiny Sceptile appeared from the Great Ball, and Bonnie and even Shauna squeaked in shock at the sight of its horribly scarred eye. But the Trainers all composed themselves and summoned their own Pokémon: Clemont's Luxray, Shauna's Ivysaur, Tierno's Blastoise, Trevor's Charmeleon, and Calem's Empoleon. Also joining the five were Ash's other Pokémon (Pikachu, Talonflame, Hawlucha, Goodra, and Noivern), who had earlier been assigned to accompany Clemont in his and the others' quest to rescue Celebi. In the background, the pedestrians began to clear out from the immediate area as they realized that an unsanctioned battle was about to take place.

"Look at that!" Trevor called. "That's ten Pokémon against your Sceptile!"

"Yeah!" Tierno added tauntingly. "You might as well give up, mister!"

However, to their surprise, Parker smiled malevolently. He pressed a button on his sunglasses, and a tiny compartment on one of the side-frames popped open, revealing...

"Is that...?" Clemont asked incredulously, his eyes widening at the sight.

"It is!" Calem cried. "It's that stone I've been hearing about! A..."

"A Key Stone!" exclaimed Shauna with horror.

"Indeed it is, children," Parker replied. "And it is the very Key Stone that will bring about your doom! Sceptile, MEGA EVOLVE!"

Multiple bright beams of energy shot out from both Sceptile and the Key Stone and connected to one another. As the Forest Pokémon roared triumphantly while enlarging and changing shape, Clemont was baffled to realize that there was no Mega Stone present anywhere on its body. How was Parker able to Mega Evolve his Sceptile like that if there wasn't a Mega Stone? It was impossible!

It didn't take long for Sceptile to reach its Mega Evolved form. With a flash of light and a vague double helix-like symbol, it let out a screech of power unlike any other.

"Shall I say it's now ten Pokémon against my _Mega_ Sceptile?" Parker asked tauntingly.

"Well, this isn't good," Tierno said to his friends.

"Not good at all," Trevor replied, his eyes wide with disbelief.

"Wh-What'll we do?" Shauna asked fearfully. "I mean, isn't the only thing that can defeat a Mega Evolved Pokémon _another_ Mega Evolved Pokémon?"

"That's right," replied Clemont as he closely examined Sceptile.

"Well, I suppose no one here has any Key Stones or Mega Stones in their pockets?" Calem remarked sarcastically.

"Sceptile, finish them all with Frenzy Plant!" Parker commanded, pointing at the group of Trainers and Pokémon.

The Forest Pokémon slammed its fists to the ground, causing multiple thorny roots to shoot up from underneath the ground and head towards the group.

"COUNTER IT!" the five Trainers cried all at once.

Pikachu, Talonflame, Hawlucha, Goodra, Noivern, Luxray, Ivysaur, Blastoise, Charmeleon, and Empoleon fired a powerful combination of their best attacks at the roots. It was enough to eradicate them all within seconds, but while they were distracted, Parker nodded approvingly at Sceptile. Seconds later, a glowing green blade appeared from Sceptile's elbow, and the Forest Pokémon charged towards its opponents at top speed. Before anyone knew it, it slashed repeatedly at Talonflame, Hawlucha, Blastoise, Charmeleon, and Empoleon, knocking all of them out within seconds.

"Charmeleon, no!" Trevor cried in horror.

"Blastoise!" yelled Tierno.

"Empoleon, get up!" Calem exclaimed with concern.

Outraged at Hawlucha's quick and easy defeat, Noivern took to the skies, positioned himself, and fired Boomburst. But Sceptile easily managed to dodge it and retaliate with Leaf Storm, which blinded Noivern long enough for it to be finished off with Leaf Blade as well.

Clemont's eyes widened in horror at all of the fallen Pokémon so far. It was only half of a minute and more than half of the Pokémon in their team was already down.

"L-L-Lux-Luxray, use W-Wi-Wild Charge!" he commanded in a terrified stutter.

Luxray charged towards the Forest Pokémon, his body enveloped with powerful bolts of electricity. Once again, Sceptile merely sidestepped the Gleam Eyes Pokémon and flung another Leaf Storm at it. The leaves went directly into Luxray's face and blinded it.

"Use Dragon Claw, Sceptile!" ordered Parker.

Before Luxray could react, it was immediately defeated by Sceptile's newest attack.

"LUXRAY!" screamed Clemont.

"Oh, no!" Bonnie exclaimed worriedly. "They're...They're all going down one by one!"

Then, Pikachu fired a Thunderbolt at it, which Sceptile dodged. However, Goodra anticipated this and fired Dragon Pulse, which hit the Forest Pokémon dead-on. Sceptile cried out in pain and clutched its shoulder before retaliating with dual Leaf Blades. The Forest Pokémon swung wildly at Goodra, who immediately used Bide; its body glowed red as Sceptile continued striking it. After a few seconds, the Dragon Pokémon fired a white beam from its body, which hit Sceptile and sent it tumbling over to the other side of the street.

"Don't back down, Sceptile!" Parker barked loudly and sternly, sounding a whole lot like a drill sergeant. "Keep fighting with everything you've got! Remember, we have a paycheck to get!"

"PIKA- **CHUUUUU**!"

At that moment, Pikachu fired a particularly powerful Thunderbolt, which Goodra and Ivysaur quickly followed up on with Dragon Pulse and Energy Ball, respectively. All three attacks barreled towards the Forest Pokémon, but it managed to dodge the former two attacks. As for the Energy Ball, the Grass-type attack hit its chest but failed to inflict any significant damage to it.

"How miserable of you," Parker remarked mockingly. Then, he made a slashing movement with his arm. "Finish this show now, Sceptile! As fun as this is, we can't afford to remain here!"

Sceptile loyally nodded in response and charged towards the three remaining Pokémon, a Leaf Blade on its left elbow and a Dragon Claw on its right hand.

"Stop it with Energy Ball, Ivysaur!" Shauna cried, the panic evident in her voice.

Ivysaur fired a barrage of Energy Balls at Sceptile, but the Forest Pokémon either managed to dodge them or slice them in half with its Leaf Blade. It was then about to reach the trio when...

"USE WATER SHURIKEN, GRENINJA!"

Greninja's Water Shuriken struck Sceptile unexpectedly, and the Forest Pokémon was knocked to the ground. Everyone looked down the direction from which the attack came, and all but Parker gasped and smiled happily. As for the poacher himself, he gritted his teeth in anger.

"YOU!" he snarled.

"Yes, me," Ash replied as he, Serena, Greninja, and Braixen walked into the fray with confidence. "You're not gonna get away with Celebi! Not if we have anything to say about it!"

* * *

**The Blue Suns Deluxe Hotel**

Everyone in the Pokémon Center had been evacuated to the lobby of the Blue Suns Deluxe Hotel. There, Selene, Grace, Layla, Moose, Summer, Nurse Joy, and a number of others were watching a live report on the TV screen in the lobby. This report was covering the battle with Parker, and the reporter had just observed Ash and Serena's arrival.

As she stood by Grace, whose hand was on her shoulder, Selene placed a hand over her heart.

"Get him, Mommy and Daddy," she whispered to herself. "I know you guys can do it."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now this is what I call an action-packed chapter! I do hope you guys enjoyed these action sequences, and the Ash-Serena team-up!
> 
> TheCartoonFanatic01 is out. PEACE!


	10. Battle on the Kiloude Streets

**The Blue Suns Deluxe Hotel**

Selene, Grace, Layla, Moose, Summer, Nurse Joy, and many other people continued to watch the live TV report in the hotel lobby. Some were gasping in shock; others were awed. Unbeknownst to everyone else, Jessie, James, and Meowth were all hiding behind a large plant in the corner, watching the TV screen as well.

Grace's gaze hardened with concern, and the jockey's grip on Selene tightened slightly. Her other hand went up to her chest, directly over her heart, just like her future granddaughter.

 _"Be careful, Serena..."_ she thought worriedly.

* * *

**Room 30001**

Amelia gasped in shock as she saw the live footage of Serena, Ash, and their Pokémon confronting Parker and Sceptile. Her Dragonair and Espeon looked at her with apprehensive expressions...which soon turned into ones of fear when their Trainer's face started to turn red. Her indigo eyes were literally blazing with fury as the pupils remained transfixed to the TV screen.

Adam, on the other hand, looked on with absolute amazement...but not at Serena and Ash.

* * *

**The Laurier Maison**

Aria, Foster, Palermo, Paris, Amara, and their Pokémon were in the living room watching a TV set of their own. They had been watching a report on tomorrow's Exhibition Showcase when it abruptly switched out to a live report of an intense battle near the Star Inn in downtown Kiloude. Aria and Palermo's eyes widened at the sight of Serena.

"Oh, my goodness," Palermo said with shock. "It's her!"

"Serena?!" Aria exclaimed, shooting up from her chair and startling her Delphox in the process.

* * *

**A Pokémon Center  
Between Vaniville Town and Kiloude City**

Several Trainers and Pokémon, as well as the resident Nurse Joy and Wigglytuff, were intently watching the live report as well on the Pokémon Center's own TV. One of the Trainers, a certain brown-haired Trainer wearing a red tennis visor, stood up with a gasp upon recognizing Serena, Ash, Clemont, Bonnie, and Parker. Nurse Joy was the first to notice this.

"Is-Is everything alright there...?" the nurse asked.

But the Trainer didn't say anything. Instead, he ran out of the building as fast as he possibly could, followed closely by his Emboar.

* * *

**In the skies of Kiloude City**

Up in the skies, unknown to absolutely everyone down below, about a half-dozen Hoppip, Skiploom, and Jumpluff were in the air. Minuscule devices that seemed to be a combination of flashlights and cameras were strapped onto each of their bodies, being so lightweight that they didn't hinder their movements at all.

The Grass/Flying-type Pokémon floated across the sky, silently and methodically recording Parker's battle with the group of meddlesome Trainers at every possible angle.

* * *

**Near the Star Inn  
Downtown Kiloude City**

"I should've known you of all people would stick your nose where it doesn't belong..." Parker snarled, " _Ketchum_."

Ash blinked. "So I guess we know each other in the future?" he asked curiously.

The poacher then sneered maliciously. "I see you're still not that bright." Then, he shrugged dismissively. "But then again, it _is_ the past, after all. I wouldn't expect any _less_ from you."

"Don't you dare insult Ash like that!" Serena screamed.

"Yeah, you tell him, Serena!" Bonnie cheered.

"Pikachu!" squeaked Pikachu defiantly.

"Pichu-pi!" Pichu cried.

"Dedenne!" Dedenne squeaked as well, while Squishy garbled angrily.

"I wouldn't expect less from _any_ of you. After all..." Parker glared at all of the Pokémon Sceptile managed to defeat. "It's what makes you all weak."

Ash followed the poacher's gaze and instantly noticed the unconscious forms of Talonflame, Hawlucha, and Noivern. He then looked at Clemont, Tierno, Trevor, and Calem, who were all tending to their own fallen Pokémon.

"That bad, huh...?" the raven-haired Trainer asked.

"Yeah..." Trevor replied as he recalled his Charmeleon.

"You be careful with that guy, dude!" Tierno exclaimed. "He and Sceptile have some very crazy moves! And he managed to Mega Evolve Sceptile without a Mega Stone!"

"Without a Mega Stone?!" repeated Ash, startled by the newest information.

"Yeah!" Clemont replied. "But he had a Key Stone, so that Mega Stone's gotta be somewhere on Sceptile! So you gotta be careful, Ash!"

Ash looked at Parker and Sceptile, who were calmly standing still, waiting for them to make their first move. Parker was smirking at him and Serena tauntingly. The raven-haired Trainer narrowed his eyes; he was definitely going to be a tough opponent to face, especially since he was most likely equipped with technology from the future that would likely make Clemont squeal with pleasure.

"Pikapi!"

Ash felt something scurry onto his shoulder, and he looked there to see none other than Pikachu. The Mouse Pokémon was smiling at him with the utmost confidence. Then, he looked at his other side and saw Greninja, Serena, and Braixen also looking at him optimistically. At that moment, the Trainer smiled and looked at Parker and Sceptile.

"Never give up till the end," he declared.

"Right!" Serena exclaimed, the honey-blonde with agreement.

"As you wish, you two," Parker replied nonchalantly. "I shall make your defeats as quick and painless as possible-"

"They're not fighting alone!" Shauna interrupted, as she joined Serena's side. "Ivysaur and I are still in the game, remember?!"

"And I'm fighting beside you guys as well!" shouted Calem. The older Trainer recalled Empoleon, pulled out a new Poké Ball, and stepped beside Ash. "Your Sceptile took my Empoleon down so easily. Don't you expect to get away with it without a little payback on my part!"

"Alright," Ash said. He looked at Clemont and the others, who were still tending to their fallen Pokémon. "Clemont, you take the others back to the hotel! Make sure the Pokémon are alright!"

"Got it, Ash!" Clemont replied determinedly.

"Goodra, take care of them! Make sure there's no traps waiting for them!"

Goodra nodded loyally at its Trainer. As for Tierno and Trevor, they looked at Shauna and Calem with expressions of grave concern.

"You guys be careful," Trevor said.

"Got it, Trev!" Shauna replied, her smile brimming with confidence. Then, she looked at Calem. "I trust you and your Pokémon watch my back, Calem?"

"As keenly as a Fearow," responded Calem. Then, he threw his new Poké Ball into the air. "GO, GALLADE!"

The Poké Ball opened up and unleashed the Blade Pokémon, which made an intimidating pose.

Meanwhile, Pichu tried to hop out of Bonnie's arms and join the impending battle, but she held on to the Tiny Mouse Pokémon tightly.

"No, Pichu!" Bonnie exclaimed. "It's too dangerous! Ash, Serena, Shauna, and Calem can take care of that meanie!"

"Nenene!" Dedenne squeaked in agreement, while Squishy merely looked on with amazement.

Pichu looked up at Bonnie with reluctance, then back at the aforementioned Trainers as they faced down Parker and Sceptile. The Tiny Mouse Pokémon supposed Bonnie was right...

With that, Clemont, Tierno, and Trevor recalled all of their unconscious Pokémon. Next, the former two picked up Talonflame and Hawlucha, respectively, while Goodra picked up Noivern. Then, Goodra led the way as the others, as well as Bonnie, fled as fast as they could from the makeshift battlefield.

Meanwhile, Ash, Serena, Shauna, Calem, and their Pokémon continued to look at Parker and Sceptile, who were both staring back calmly and patiently, awaiting their first move.

"Shauna, Calem," Ash said, "you two keep Sceptile distracted. Serena and I will try to attack him from behind."

"Got it, Ash," replied Shauna, her eyes still transfixed on the Forest Pokémon. "Ivysaur, use Energy Ball!"

"Gallade, follow it up with Psycho Cut!" commanded Calem.

Ivysaur fired an Energy Ball at the direction of the Forest Pokémon, while Gallade dashed behind the Grass-type move, both of his forearms glowing light-blue and forming the shapes of crescent-shaped blades.

"COUNTER WITH LEAF BLADE!" Parker barked.

Sceptile dashed forward, glowing green blades protruding from both of its wrists. It dodged Ivysaur's Energy Ball with ease before locking its blades with Gallade's. The two Pokémon engaged in an extremely brief sword-fight before Gallade jumped away, barely avoiding Sceptile's latest swings in the process, and released crescent-shaped blades of energy at the Forest Pokémon. Sceptile didn't have enough time to react and was struck by the Psycho Cut.

"Now's our chance, Serena!" Ash exclaimed. "Pikachu, use Thunderbolt! Greninja, use Aerial Ace!"

"Braixen, use Fire Blast!" Serena ordered.

Pikachu and Braixen fired their attacks, while Greninja dashed towards Sceptile, its arms and legs glowing blue. Gallade stepped out of the way, allowing the Thunderbolt and Fire Blast to strike their intended target at once. This triggered a large, fiery explosion that knocked Sceptile backwards.

The undeterred Greninja jumped into the resulting cloud of dark, billowing smoke and found the Forest Pokémon's form using his enhanced senses. While Sceptile was still blinded by the smoke, Greninja appeared in front of it and struck it with an uppercut using his right arm. Then, he slashed it across the chest with his left arm. Finally, Greninja gave the Forest Pokémon a powerful kick using both of his legs. The Forest Pokémon was launched out of the cloud of smoke, and it smashed into the front wall of the Star Inn, creating a deep crater in the concrete.

Surprisingly, Parker didn't react to this stunning development at all. But it didn't take long for the reason behind that to make itself clear: Sceptile stood up, bruised and injured, but clearly ready to continue.

"This is gonna be a long night, isn't it...?" Calem remarked with some exasperation.

"Sceptile," Parker said calmly, "use Frenzy Plant. End this."

The Grass-type Pokémon slammed its fists into the ground again, and roots emerged from the ground and barreled towards Pikachu, Greninja, Braixen, Ivysaur, and Gallade. All but Ivysaur were able to dodge them, for the Seed Pokémon was too heavy and slow to make a maneuver that required a lot of agility. Ivysaur cried out as it was sent flying into the air.

"IVYSAUR!" Shauna cried with concern.

"Gallade, catch Ivysaur!" shouted Calem.

The Blade Pokémon was quick to respond; he abandoned his current position, leaped into the air, and caught the injured Ivysaur before it could land painfully on the ground. Shauna breathed out a sigh of relief and then looked at Calem with a faint blush.

"Thanks for that, Calem."

Calem smiled and gave the tan-skinned Performer a thumbs-up. "Don't mention it. Let's just get focused on defeating this prick and saving Celebi."

"Such heroic nonsense," Parker remarked with a look of disgust on his face. "Sceptile, use-"

"Greninja, use Water Shuriken!" Ash interrupted suddenly.

The Ninja Pokémon launched a shuriken-shaped disc of water at the Forest Pokémon. Sceptile attempted to retaliate, but the Water Shuriken was quicker, and the Grass-type was sent flying further down the street.

"As I was saying before I was so _rudely_ interrupted," Parker said with irritation, "Sceptile, use Leaf Blade!"

Recovering quickly, Sceptile charged towards Greninja with Leaf Blades on its wrists.

"Counter with Aerial Ace!" shouted Ash.

Greninja quickly knocked one of Sceptile's Leaf Blades away with its glowing right arm. But Sceptile anticipated his next move and slashed its opponent across the chest with its other Leaf Blade. Greninja winced in pain, giving Sceptile ample time to prepare its next move.

"Braixen, use Flamethrower, quickly!" Serena commanded, pointing at the Forest Pokémon.

The Fox Pokémon fired a stream of flames towards Sceptile's direction. It was a direct hit, and the Forest Pokémon let out a loud cry of anguish as its body was scorched with powerful fire.

"Don't let it deter you, Sceptile!" snapped Parker. "Use the fire to your advantage! Now, attack with Leaf Blade again!"

Sceptile slashed at Greninja again with its other Leaf Blade, knocking him backward. The damage Greninja took was amplified, but not by quite a lot, thanks to the fire that coated Sceptile's Leaf Blade. At the same time the Ninja Pokémon was staggering away, Ash did so as well, and the Trainer struggled to maintain his balance.

"Hang in there, Greninja!" Ash called, still wincing a little from the pain he indirectly received. "Use Water Shuriken again! Pikachu, use Electro Ball!"

"Gallade, help Greninja and Pikachu out with Psycho Cut!" cried Calem.

Greninja and Pikachu launched a large Water Shuriken and Electro Ball, respectively, at Sceptile. As for Gallade, it put Ivysaur down to the ground and then fired a Psycho Cut from its arms. Both Parker and Sceptile leaped out of the way to avoid the attacks, which both instead hit a nearby tree and cut it apart.

"Braixen, use Fire Blast!" Serena ordered.

"Ivysaur, use Energy Ball!" cried Shauna.

The two Pokémon fired their attacks; the Energy Ball missed, but the Fire Blast managed to find its target. Sceptile cried out in pain again, and its body looked scorched, but it was determined to keep itself focused on the goal at hand. Parker emerged from behind the fallen tree, looking just as focused. The Pokémon Poacher merely frowned disapprovingly at the quartet of Trainers.

"You just don't know when to give up, do you?" he snapped. "Always the righteous ones, even as kids."

"That's because you don't understand the fact that Pokémon are our friends and partners!" Ash called back defiantly. "Even if they don't belong to you, they have to be treated with kindness and respect regardless!"

"Yeah!" Serena cried angrily. "You brutally attack innocent Pokémon who do not have a chance to defend themselves, and then give them to the most awful people, and for what? A _paycheck_?!"

"Money is what keeps this world spinning, kids," Parker replied coldly. "Money _and_ power. Not some stupid morals about love and friendship. Heh. How disgusting. Emotions in general are the root of all weakness in the world. The rules that bind me and others from doing simple business transactions only serve to put the planet in a compromised position. When we cannot use power at its maximum capacity to keep the world in check, then we are all eventually doomed as a species when in the face of an unprecedented disaster. That is why I'm so good at my job, kids. Me and my colleagues. We know better than to let emotions get in the way."

Ash gritted his teeth angrily at Parker's horrifying logic. For a moment, he was reminded of both his rival Paul ad Cyrus, the Team Galactic leader.

"So you pretty much see Pokémon as tools," Calem snarled. "Is that what I'm getting at?"

"Of course," replied Parker, as a sneer formed on his face. "All Pokémon are tools. My Sceptile, my Chesnaught, my Trevenant...they're all just means to an end. Even this Celebi." He raised the cage containing the Time Travel Pokémon, who was now fully conscious and staring at the poacher fearfully. "Legendary, rare, all-powerful...it matters not. Those are just words to classify certain Pokémon as forbidden fruit. Strip all of that away, and they're tools, just like all other Pokémon."

"That's horrible and cruel!" Shauna exclaimed. "What about your Sceptile?! What does he think of all this?!"

"It has accepted this undeniable fact. It's accepted it for its whole life. And I would know because I raised it. I'll give you an example..." Parker pointed at Greninja, Pikachu, Braixen, Gallade, and Ivysaur. "SCEPTILE, USE FRENZY PLANT! DO NOT FAIL ME THIS TIME!"

Sceptile roared angrily and punched the ground with its fists once again. More roots, larger and thicker than ever before, exploded from underneath the ground and headed towards the five Pokémon.

 **"DODGE!"** Ash, Serena, Calem, and Shauna all cried at once.

But it was too late. The Frenzy Plant hit everyone, and even Ash screamed out in agony. Greninja, Pikachu, Braixen, Gallade, and Ivysaur were all sent tumbling in different directions, and by the time they all came to a stop, only Greninja and Pikachu remained conscious. When the smoke cleared, the Trainers saw Parker and Sceptile both making a run for it.

"Greninja, Pikachu!" Ash cried, clutching his side as he spoke. "Are you guys okay?!"

"Pika pika..." Pikachu replied in the affirmative, while Greninja nodded determinedly.

"What about you guys?!"

"No!" Calem cried. "They took out Gallade!"

"My Ivysaur's unable to battle too..." Shauna added as she sadly recalled her Seed Pokémon.

"What're we gonna do, Ash?!" exclaimed Serena as she cradled the unconscious form of her Fox Pokémon.

"You guys get back to the hotel," replied Ash. "Greninja, Pikachu, and I are going after this guy."

"Are you sure about that?" Calem asked, seconds after he recalled Gallade. "You, uh...you don't look so good, Ash-"

"I'm okay, Calem." Ash suddenly winced. "I...I can handle this."

"But you've taken too damage, Ash!" Serena cried with concern.

"Taken too much damage...?" repeated Calem, the Sinnohan Trainer shooting his cousin a look of confusion.

Ash began, "I said I'm okay, Serena- AGH!"

He was surprised when Serena ran up to him, grabbed his shoulders, and pulled him close to her. Their faces were a few centimeters apart; their noses were almost touching. For the quickest moment, Ash realized how much Serena's eyes resembled a sparkling, brilliant ocean right now. Then, he briefly questioned himself for making that realization.

"You can't fight him alone!" she cried. "You-You just _can't_! You're gonna get hurt so badly if you do! Or-Or worse!" Her voice broke at the last word. "I can't let you go!"

Ash looked over his shoulder, glancing down the direction where Parker was. "But...I can't let that guy get away with Celebi..." He looked back at Serena with determination gleaming in his auburn eyes. "I just can't! If he does, then Selene will cry. Despite being so young and little, she worked so hard to love Celebi and protect it..."

At that moment, Serena saw something else burning in Ash's eyes. She didn't know what it was...but it was unlike anything she had ever seen before in her crush.

He continued determinedly, "I can't let that be for nothing!"

Serena continued to gawk at Ash's strange, newfound determination before replying, "B-But-"

"You can count me in, Ash!" Calem cried, giving the raven-haired boy a thumbs-up. "You're not going into this alone!"

"But I need you to accompany Serena and Shauna-" Ash began.

"Those two can take good care of themselves, I'm sure of it! In the meantime, I still have four Pokémon on standby!" He reached into his pocket, pulled out another Poké Ball, and threw it. "GO, GOLEM!"

The Alolan Golem emerged from its Poké Ball and made a confident pose. Ash stared at it, then at Calem, and smiled weakly, all the while still feeling the effects of Greninja's injuries.

"Thank you, Calem," he said.

"No need to thank me. We can save all of that for the celebration later!"

Ash looked back at Serena. "I guess I'm not going alone, Serena."

"Yeah, that's good..." replied Serena as she let go of her crush's shoulders. "Well...good luck." Then, she raised an index finger and frowned a little at Ash, resembling a mother lecturing her child. "And don't exert yourself too much! I don't care what you say, Ash Ketchum; Greninja still suffered a lot and that means you did too!"

"Okay, okay! I'll be careful, I promise, Serena!" Then, he looked at Greninja and Pikachu. "You ready, guys?!"

"Pika!" Pikachu cried as he scurried up his Trainer's shoulder.

"Greninja!" exclaimed Greninja.

"Good." Finally, Ash looked at Calem and Golem. "Come on, guys, let's go!"

He and Greninja ran off after Parker and Sceptile, followed by Golem, but Calem stopped for a moment to look at Serena and Shauna.

"Hey, you girls stay safe," he said.

"Y-You too, Calem," Shauna replied, blushing slightly.

"Thank you so much for sticking with Ash, Calem," said Serena; the Performer looked immensely relieved. "I don't think he would've managed that guy and Sceptile on his own."

"You're welcome, cuz." Then, Calem winked teasingly at her. "Besides, I know how important Ash is to you. So I gotta protect my cousin-in-law to the best of my ability!"

Serena's face turned as red as a Tamato Berry at the implication her cousin made. But before she could give Calem a shouting or worse, the male Trainer had already made a run for it, leaving the Performers behind.

...

...

...

"Isn't Calem amazing...?" Shauna asked dreamily, her head slightly tilted.

"What?" Serena asked, looking at her friend and rival in confusion.

Shauna snapped out of her reverie. "What?"

* * *

**The Star Inn**

Inside one of the rooms on the inn's third floor, Clarice and her Fletchling had been watching the entire battle from her window. She immediately recognized Ash Ketchum, the boy who treated her and found her Fletchling, as one of the Trainers battling the man with the Sceptile. Apparently that man had stolen someone's Pokémon; she didn't know what, but she assumed it was a Sewaddle or something like that, judging by what she saw in the man's cage.

When the battle ended with nearly everyone defeated, Clarice noticed how Ash refused to give up and ran after the horrible man after composing himself. It made her heart flutter, seeing that boy's determination and selflessness again. It was something she had been thinking about ever since they first met.

Clarice reached into the pocket of her pajamas and pulled out the handkerchief Ash had given to her for her arm wound. Even after Nurse Joy easily treated that wound, she refused to throw it away. After all, it was Ash's! The way he gave it to her suggested it had some meaning to him...

Something suddenly clicked inside Clarice's head.

"That's right!" she exclaimed, startling Fletchling. "I need to return this to him!"

Without giving it a second thought, Clarice grabbed her backpack, unzipped it, and pulled out a set of fresh new clothes. Then, she ran into the bathroom to get dressed. All the while, she thought about how she was going to approach Ash after he was done with his affair. One thing was for sure, though: this was her only chance to get closer to him!

* * *

**Kiloude Square  
A few minutes later**

Parker and Sceptile stopped running the moment the villainous duo reached the city square, which was illuminated with the golden light of ancient traditional lanterns that hung all around the area. Many civilians were still milling about there, celebrating another beautiful night at Kiloude, though a few of them appeared to have heard the battle nearby because they looked on edge. Some were examining Parker's Sceptile, curious about its Mega Evolved appearance. The Pokémon Poacher looked around to see if Ash or any of the others had given chase, then inspected the cage and found Celebi cowering at one of its tight corners.

"You're gonna help me find my boss," he snarled malevolently, "and once that's done, you're gonna take us back to our original timeline. And _then_ I'm gonna sell you to Ms. Diable. And _this time_ , there will be no mistakes. No failures. And most of all, no pathetic little kids to save you, Celebi." When Celebi prepared to cry out for help, Parker interrupted harshly, "By the way, if you make one little noise or movement, I'll make sure you regret it."

Sceptile growled quietly and menacingly; the Forest Pokémon had one of its Leaf Blades ready. Not willing to get hurt again, nor possibly risk the lives of all the other people around it, Celebi merely shivered and whimpered helplessly. Parker grinned slightly at the Time Travel Pokémon's obedience.

"That's more like it," he said. "Now, let's get-"

"HOLD IT!" a voice shouted, causing Parker to groan in annoyance.

"Oh no, not again!"

The poacher twirled around and saw Ash and Calem running up to him, accompanied by Greninja, Pikachu, and the Alolan Golem. Several civilians yelped in surprise or otherwise stepped out of the Trainers' paths as they confronted Parker.

"You're not gonna get rid of this that easily!" Ash hollered defiantly. "Now let Celebi go!"

"Don't test my patience, Ketchum," growled Parker, as Sceptile stood in front of him, its dual Leaf Blades ready for use.

In the background, many civilians began to run, having sensed the impending battle, while some remained behind to observe.

"Pikachu, use Thunderbolt!"

"PIKA- **CHUUUUU**!"

Sceptile charged forward, just as the Mouse Pokémon launched a bolt of electricity at it. But the Forest Pokémon refused to dodge, and instead, it allowed the electricity to hit its body. Unsurprisingly to Parker, Sceptile shook off the electricity like it was nothing; the attack did nothing to impede its mad dash toward the Trainers.

"Now, Pikachu! Use Iron Tail!"

Pikachu leaped into the air, his tail gleaming silver. With a powerful cry, the Electric-type slammed his lightning bolt-shaped tail upon Sceptile's body. Sceptile cried out, then leaned forward and slashed at Pikachu with one of its Leaf Blades, knocking its opponent backward.

"Greninja, use Aerial Ace!" Ash commanded.

Greninja dashed forward, passing Pikachu as he deftly landed on his paws. The Ninja Pokémon leaped into the air and prepared to hit Sceptile with one of his glowing limbs.

"Block it!" Parker barked.

Sceptile blocked Greninja's intended attack with its other Leaf Blade. But Ash smiled, having anticipated this.

"NOW, CALEM!"

"Golem, use Heavy Slam!"

Golem's body became enveloped by a yellow aura, and it launched itself forward and tackled Sceptile with great force, while it was still preoccupied with blocking Greninja's Aerial Ace. With a cry of surprise, Sceptile flew backward, but Greninja was still quick enough to secure a hit with another of his Aerial Ace-powered limbs. The double-hit sent Sceptile barreling into a random food stand, with the poor vendor screaming girlishly as he barely avoided the collision.

"Sceptile!" Parker called.

The Forest Pokémon weakly stood up, its good eye glaring hatefully at Greninja, Pikachu, and Golem.

"I think we're getting somewhere, Ash," Calem remarked, smirking proudly at the badly injured Sceptile.

"I don't even know why the heck I'm trying," Parker grumbled. He swiped at the air halfheartedly. "Use Frenzy Plant again, Sceptile! And leave no room for mistakes this time!"

"Greninja, stop Sceptile with Water Shuriken!" Ash commanded. "We can't lose track of them again!"

Greninja launched a particularly massive Water Shuriken at the Forest Pokémon, who had just noticed it.

"DODGE NOW!" screamed Parker.

The Grass-type Pokémon rolled away just in the nick of time, allowing the Water Shuriken to destroy what remained of the totaled food stand. But Calem was prepared.

"Golem, use Heavy Slam again!"

Just like before, Sceptile was knocked back by Golem's powerful attack. It tumbled towards the middle of the square, nearly hitting the small crowd of onlookers. The Forest Pokémon stood up again, but it nearly fell over in the process; one of its arms was hanging loosely. In the distance, everyone could hear police sirens blaring in the air.

"Give it up, man!" Calem cried. "It's all over! Officer Jenny and the cops are coming for you!"

Parker clenched his unoccupied fist in anger, so tightly that he threatened to cut his palm. He couldn't believe he was actually losing to these kids! Granted, he didn't have any backup in the form of his colleagues, but still, this development was absolutely unacceptable to him. He simply could not allow this! All he had to do was get out of the city, force Celebi to help him find Kay, and then return to the timeline from which he came. It was supposed to be a simple plan...and yet, these kids kept throwing Mankey-wrenches from left and right. Even as kids, they would always somehow find a way to meddle in the affairs of the Eight-Headed Seviper!

Then, as he watched Sceptile recovering beside the crowd of onlookers, Parker suddenly had an idea. It was a terrible idea, plagued with the most unfavorable statistical odds and involving a tactic he hoped he'd never use in this timeline, but he had no other choice left.

"Sceptile, grab the closest person you can find!" he ordered.

Without hesitation, Sceptile lunged towards the onlookers and grabbed the nearest one, a teenage girl. Then, it held the girl in a chokehold and rejoined Parker's side. As it did so, Parker noticed Ash's eyes widen with horror.

"Clarice?!" the raven-haired Trainer shouted.

"Ash, help me!" the girl cried helplessly.

"Ah, so you know each other, huh...?" Parker asked, looking from Ash to the girl and back again. He was a little puzzled, since he absolutely didn't recognize the girl from his timeline, but he quickly shrugged it off. "Well then, I suppose you now know better than to follow me, Ketchum!"

Suddenly, Clarice's Fletchling finally caught up with Sceptile. The Tiny Robin Pokémon chirped angrily as it repeatedly tried to peck the Grass-type in the head in a desperate attempt to rescue its Trainer. Parker rolled his eyes at the futile effort, raised his arm, and fired a dart from his advanced wristwatch, which knocked Fletchling out cold.

"FLETCHLING!" bawled Clarice.

"Parker, let her go!" Ash shouted furiously.

"PIKA!" Pikachu cried.

"I thought I freaking made myself clear?" Then, the poacher shrugged dismissively. "Oh, whatever."

Parker reached into his pocket and pulled out a small, charcoal-gray marble. He pressed something on it and then threw it into the air. A second later, holographic images of grid-like patterns started to unfold outward from the marble and in all directions. Ash, Calem, and their Pokémon watched in shock and awe as these grid-like patterns started to form into a 3D model of something completely unknown to them.

Once the model was complete, solid material materialized in its place. Standing there now was a four-legged mecha, which was about a couple dozen feet tall; four tentacle-like arms with pincers for hands dangled from its underside.

"Whoa..." Calem said in awe. "So I guess these people really _are_ from the future..."

Parker and Sceptile jumped on the mecha with Clarice in tow, and the former seized the controls. "I'd offer my thanks for you entertaining me in this short period of time," he said tauntingly, "but unfortunately, you two were too much of a thorn in my side for me to give you the benefit of the doubt. Now, without further ado, au revoir!"

And with that, the mecha stomped away, the seemingly autonomous, tentacle-like arms watching Ash and Calem's every move as it went. Ash gritted his teeth and clenched his fists.

"Calem, go check on Fletchling!" he cried. "Take it to Nurse Joy if you have to. Greninja, Pikachu, and I are going after him!"

"You got it, Ash!" Calem replied, sprinting forward with Golem to check on the unconscious Tiny Robin Pokémon. Then, as he was about to pull out some Awakening medicine that he had in his bag, Calem remembered Ash's state of condition that had concerned Serena. As a result, he yelled out, "NO, WAIT A MINUTE! **ASH!** "

But Ash didn't listen; instead, he dashed after the mecha, with Greninja and Pikachu by his sides. It took the trio a couple of minutes to catch up, and once they did, the tentacle-like arms were quick to notice them...as was Clarice.

"ASH!" she screamed. "Ash, help me! PLEASE!"

"Take care of him, Sceptile," Parker said nonchalantly, not even bothering to look over his shoulder.

Sceptile flung a Leaf Storm at the three pursuers, which briefly blinded them. As soon as Ash, Greninja, and Pikachu managed to get through the Grass-type attack, they saw one of the tentacle-like arms heading straight for them, its bladed pincers wide and open.

"GRENINJA!" Ash cried at the top of his lungs.

Greninja threw a large Water Shuriken at the arm, effectively cutting it in half. That was when Parker looked over his shoulder.

"For some reason, you're even more annoying as a kid, Ketchum," he remarked to himself. "But I guess it goes without saying..."

At around the same time, Ash's eyes widened when two smaller tentacle-like arms quickly sprouted from the tattered base of the original arm Greninja had just severed. As for the severed arm itself, it started slithering across the ground like a Seviper, its pincers snapping furiously.

"Pikachu, use Thunderbolt!" he commanded. "Greninja, use Aerial Ace!"

Pikachu fired a Thunderbolt at the original arm, while Greninja attacked the mecha's five secondary arms with Aerial Ace. As soon as the Thunderbolt hit its target, the severed arm exploded violently, knocking both Pikachu and Ash to the ground.

As for Greninja, he wound up creating two new arms from every arm it destroyed. Realizing this, the Ninja Pokémon ceased his attacks and resorted to running as fast as he could. The newly-created army of secondary arms lunged at him, one by one, repeatedly striking concrete and other objects. Sceptile, in the meantime, attempted to fling as many Leaf Storms as it could in an effort to distract Greninja. The continuous, brutal attacks were so powerful that blocks of concrete were sent flying high into the air.

"AGH! Son of a!" Parker cried, flinching as a block of concrete hit the side of the mecha.

The Pokémon Poacher then examined his surroundings and realized he was surrounded by too many building structures. It was too risky to continue the battle in Kiloude City without dealing serious damage to the mecha. So, he pushed the controls forward, and the mecha started running down the street, its legs trampling everything in its path and sending civilians and Pokémon alike jumping for cover.

"You're not gonna get away with this!" Clarice shouted bravely, though her legs were quaking severely. She had never been in this kind of situation before, and she definitely had no willingness to be in it ever again...if she made it out okay, that is.

"Try me, little girl," Parker replied, refusing to look at the dark-haired Performer.

"DON'T CALL ME A LITTLE GIRL!"

She was suddenly silenced when Sceptile glared at her menacingly with its scarred eye. Then, she saw Parker finally looking over his shoulder, directly at her.

"What was that you were saying, _little girl_?"

Clarice refused to say anything out of fear that Parker would have Sceptile direct its attacks against her. But then, Parker stopped the mecha and turned around so he could look at her more directly. His literally sharp eyes pierced into her soul, and Sceptile grumbled aggressively at her. The Performer's eyes widened with fear.

 _"He really expects me to_ answer him _?!"_ she thought. Despite this conclusion, she kept her lips sealed; she knew her latest words weren't exactly favorable and to repeat them would spell her doom.

"I said," Parker snarled, his voice slow and menacingly calm, "what was that you were saying, _little girl_?"

Clarice's eyes widened, and her hazel pupils trembled as she looked up in terror at the towering, muscular man. Her brain seemed to completely stop functioning while her heart pounded desperately against her sternum. She had never been so afraid in her entire life.

She needed Ash to save her-

"Let her go!"

Clarice gasped with immense relief when she saw Ash standing above the mecha controls, with Pikachu perched on his shoulder and Greninja standing by his side.

Sceptile didn't need to be told what to do. The Forest Pokémon simply lunged forward, its Leaf Blade ready, but Greninja was also prepared; the Ninja Pokémon blocked the attack with an Aerial Ace-powered arm. However, Parker smirked.

"Now use Wood Hammer!" the poacher commanded.

Ash and Greninja's eyes widened in shock when they saw Sceptile's unoccupied hand deploy a Wood Hammer. They had never heard of a Pokémon capable of using two moves at once, not even one in a Mega Evolved form. Perhaps that was what Tierno was talking about when he mentioned Sceptile having "crazy moves".

"Dodge it, Greninja!" ordered Ash.

Greninja jumped away in the nick of time, barely avoiding the range of Sceptile's Wood Hammer. Then, Sceptile lunged forward with Leaf Blade again.

"Pikachu, use Iron Tail, quick!"

Pikachu hopped off Ash's shoulder and knocked Sceptile's arm away with the Steel-type move. But the Mouse Pokémon was totally unprepared for the simultaneous Wood Hammer; Sceptile scored a direct hit with that move and knocked Pikachu off the mecha.

"Pikachu!" Ash cried. Then, he looked at Sceptile, which was now about to fire Leaf Storm. "Greninja, use Double Team!"

Greninja immediately created dozens of duplicates of himself and camouflaged his body among them. Not one to be trifled with like this, Parker immediately put on his high-tech sunglasses and activated the lenses' thermal version. Without a hitch, the thermal vision detected Greninja's position.

"There!" he shouted, pointing toward Ash's left. "Third to the right, Sceptile!"

Before Ash could react, Sceptile swung its Wood Hammer at the spot Parker pointed out. As expected, the poacher's observations were correct, and Greninja fell to the floor, his duplicates vanishing into thin air within a couple of seconds.

"Hey!" Ash shouted.

"You _cheated_!" exclaimed Clarice with outrage.

"Well, all's fair when you've got an itinerary planned out," Parker replied nonchalantly. Then, he swiped at the air. "Now, Sceptile! Use-"

"HALT!" a familiar voice called out, its volume amplified by a loudspeaker. Ash and Parker both looked over opposite sides of the mecha to see Officer Jenny standing beside her motorcycle, flanked by dozens of supporting police officers and their Pokémon. "Owner of this strange-looking machine, deactivate it and surrender at once! You're surrounded, and there's nowhere to go!"

"Nowhere, except probably forward." And with that, Parker knocked Ash aside, seized the controls again, and directed the mecha forward.

"Disable the mecha!" many of the officers ordered, prompting their Pokémon to fire various attacks at the advanced machine. But the attacks did very little to impede the device's progress, and it merely responded by retaliating with its many tentacle-like arms.

Ash could hear people screaming and Pokémon crying out in agony. At the corner of his eye, he saw Celebi in its cage, which was beside Parker's leg; the Time Travel Pokémon was whimpering fearfully and about to weep. He narrowed his auburn eyes.

"That does it..." he snarled angrily as he stood back up.

"Ash, no!" screamed Clarice, reaching out a hand to grab the raven-haired Trainer. "Stop!"

But it was too late. Ash had charged forward, grabbed one of the levers Parker was operating, and attempted moving it himself, causing the mecha to stumble around wildly. Clarice, Greninja, and Sceptile held on tightly to the edges of the cockpit, while Celebi squealed fearfully as its cage bounced around roughly on the floor.

"You little brat!" Parker snapped as he tried to pry Ash's hands off the lever. "Get off so I could get away with it!"

"You're not getting with ANYTHING!" Ash hollered.

"Tough luck, kid." At that moment, the Pokémon Poacher stomped on Ash's foot hard with his boot and started grinding into it with his heel, drawing out a restrained groan of pain from his adversary. "The Eight-Headed Seviper _always_ gets away with what they want."

"NINJA!"

Greninja managed to hop right behind Parker and hit him with Aerial Ace, which knocked the poacher into the back of the cockpit.

"AGH!" Then, upon seeing his assailant, Parker gritted his teeth. "SCEPTILE!"

Sceptile let go and lunged forward with its Leaf Blade-Wood Hammer combo, but Ash used this opportunity to push one of the levers forward with all of his might. The mecha's front legs nearly collapsed on themselves, and it violently lurched forward, knocking Sceptile out of the cockpit. But Ash's eyes widened when he saw Clarice and Celebi's cage about to fall out as well.

"Greninja!" he cried.

The Ninja Pokémon reached one of his arms out and skillfully caught Clarice's hand. But since he still had to hold on to something in the cockpit, Greninja couldn't catch Celebi's cage. Ash's eyes bulged out in horror as he watched the cage fall out of the cockpit and plummet through the air.

**"CELEBIIIIIIIIII!"**

Without a second thought, he jumped out of the mecha.

 **"AAAAASSSSSHHHHH!"** bawled Clarice, while Greninja croaked out loudly in terror.

* * *

**The Blue Suns Deluxe Hotel**

Grace, Layla, Moose, Summer, Nurse Joy, and all the other onlookers at the lobby all screamed or gasped in horror and surprise at Ash's sudden move. Everyone's hearts seemed to stop at that exact moment.

But Selene was completely beside her. She broke away from Grace's grasp and screeched, **"DAAAAADYYYYY!"**

Grace, Layla, Moose, and Summer all looked at her, completely flabbergasted.

" _What_?!"

* * *

**The Laurier Maison**

Aria, Foster, Palermo, Paris, and Amara also saw Ash diving out of the mecha's cockpit. Foster had jumped out of his seat in shock, Palermo was covering her mouth with worry, and Paris and Amara were squealing in terror.

But for some reason, Aria was totally, uncharacteristically silent. She merely stared at the screen, the color completely drained from her fair skin.

* * *

**Near Kiloude Square**

"I've got you, Celebi!" Ash called, the Trainer stretching his arms out wide towards the steel cage.

"BBBBBIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!" Celebi squealed in fear.

The Pallet Town native managed to grab the cage, and immediately after, he held it close to his chest, closed his eyes, and re-positioned himself so he would cushion the cage's landing. He didn't care what happened to him, as long as Celebi was safe and sound. He just wished he had the time to say goodbye to Pikachu and all of his other friends and Pokémon...

And he also wished he had the time to see Serena be happy and start a family...

Ash's eyelids flew open. Why'd he think of that last thought?

Also, why was he no longer falling?

Taking a second to recompose himself, Ash realized he had landed safely in the arms of a familiar-looking Pokémon. At first, he thought it was Alain's Mega Evolved Charizard, what with the magnificent blue fire and everything. But then, he realized that the Pokémon didn't have its signature wings, and seemed wider in size. In fact, it reminded him of...

" _Emboar_...?" the Trainer asked incredulously.

The Mega Fire Pig Pokémon gently put him down to the ground, allowing Ash to conduct a better examination of its physical features. It was definitely Emboar, alright, but it had a black-and-blue color scheme, much like Alain's Charizard. It also had an untidy mat of hair that matched its large, bushy, black eyebrows; and the usual patterns on its torso were now altered to resemble some sort of jacket.

"What kind of Pokémon are _you_...?"

"Emboar!" a voice called out mightily. "Use Blast Burn!"

Emboar became engulfed in crystal-blue flames and punched the ground with both of its fists, sending waves of energy into the earth. These waves moved underneath the mecha and bubbled violently, threatening to burst.

"Ninja!" Greninja croaked as he cradled Clarice in his arms and jumped off the mecha as powerfully as he could.

A second later, the ground finally exploded upward, engulfing the entire mecha in a ball of fire. Parker screamed as he was sent flying, but his Sceptile reappeared in the nick of time and caught him before he could suffer a painful landing.

"Where were you?!" Parker snarled harshly. "Actually, don't dawdle any further! Sceptile, use Frenzy Plant!"

"Emboar, use Heat Crash!" the same voice commanded.

Emboar jumped high into the air and surrounded its body in a sphere of whitish-blue flames. It then fell powerfully on top of Sceptile before it could even smash its fists into the ground. The force of the collision was powerful enough to knock Parker into a wall, incapacitating him.

"Sc-Sce-SCEPTILE!" Parker roared in outrage.

Sceptile staggered away from Emboar, badly burnt and injured. It prepared to use its strange Leaf Blade-Wood Hammer combo, but Ash took notice and decided to pitch in.

"Greninja, use Water Shuriken!" the Pallet Town Trainer ordered loudly.

Greninja threw the bladed disc of water at Sceptile, which hit it from behind and sent it tumbling towards Emboar.

"Emboar, use Hammer Arm!" the unidentified Trainer cried.

Emboar's right arm glowed, and the Mega Fire Pig Pokémon used it to punch Sceptile while it was still tumbling towards its spot. The poor, beaten Forest Pokémon tumbled back towards Greninja, though Ash could see it was still conscious.

"Finish it off with Aerial Ace, Greninja!" he shouted.

Greninja hit the Forest Pokémon with the aforementioned attack, which _finally_ defeated it. Sceptile tumbled to a stop right in the middle of both Greninja and Emboar, and it reverted back into its normal form. Parker's lower jaw dropped open in disbelief as he stared through his cracked sunglasses.

"No..." he moaned. " _No_. This...This can't be..."

At that moment, both Greninja and Emboar reverted back to their normal forms as well, and they surrounded Parker and his fallen Sceptile. They were quickly joined by Ash, Clarice, and the Emboar's Trainer, who Parker gawked at in horror before narrowing his eyes hatefully.

"Nate Gray. I should've _guessed_..."

Ash and Clarice looked at the Trainer who assisted them in the battle's last moments. Nate Gray almost resembled Emboar in its strange Mega Evolution-like form: he had dark-brown hair arranged the same way, and brown eyes. He also wore clothing that resemble Emboar's in its alternate form; it consisted of a dark-blue-and-black-striped jacket, what appeared to be a black-and-turquoise wet-suit underneath, silver shorts, red-and-black sneakers, and a red tennis visor with a black-and-white Poké Ball insignia.

"Give it up, Parker," Nate said. "It's all over. You're not getting away with it this time."

Parker clenched his teeth together so tightly that Ash thought they might break somehow. Then, he and Greninja braced themselves for one last trick the poacher would have on his sleeve, one last move of defiance. He could see it in the horrible, awful poacher's eyes; he had no intention of giving up.

...

...

...

He was utterly surprised when Parker raised his arms and said with exhaustion, "You got me. I surrender."

* * *

**Room 30001  
The Blue Suns Deluxe Hotel**

Amelia, Espeon, Dragonair, and Adam all gawked at the TV as the live report depicted Parker's arrest. Earlier, they had witnessed the lengthy, destructive battle between the Pokémon Poacher and Ash and all of his friends. At first, Amelia rejoiced a little upon witnessing Serena's sudden defeat at the hands of Sceptile. But then, that private celebration went into a downwards spiral when Amelia saw Serena run up to Ash and hug him, clearly unfazed by her loss.

 _"Even when she loses disgracefully, that hillbilly takes it strangely well!"_ she thought enviously. _"It's...It's..._ unacceptable _! Freaky! Unhealthy! Now I'm even more determined to beat her in the Exhibition Showcase! I will see to it that she's utterly crushed in the competition, so hard and so unforgiving, to the point where she finally starts crying!"_

Meanwhile, Adam's expression of shock turned into one of glee. He had just found the solution he desperately needed to solve his lifelong dilemma. It was perfect! It was a miracle that it fell onto his lap like that!

"Excuse me, my dear."

Ignoring his niece, Adam left the main room and entered the bathroom, where he pulled out a cellphone and dialed a number. He put the device to his ear and waited for the other end to respond.

It did after three rings.

 _ **"He...**_ **Hello _...?"_** a voice groggily answered.

"It's me, Nick," Adam replied, sneering malevolently all the while. "Remember the time I helped cover up your, ahem, under-the-table dealings for your company?"

 ** _"Awwwww..."_** The person on the other end sounded like a whiny child, comically enough. _ **"Don't tell me you want more**_ **money** _ **..."**_

Adam's yellow eyes widened. "What?! No! No, no, no! That's not what I wanted to talk to you about! ...Unless you have some extra cash that you don't need-"

_**"I'm hanging up..."** _

"WAIT, YOU IDIOT!"

...

 _ **"Alright, I'm..."**_ Adam heard a yawn. _ **"I'm listenin'..."**_

* * *

**Near Kiloude Square  
Several minutes later**

Ash, Clarice, Greninja, and Pikachu, all watched as Officer Jenny hauled the calm and collected Parker into the backseat of a squad car. She then patted the car's trunk loudly, prompting the officer behind the wheel to drive off for the police station. Once the squad car was gone, Officer Jenny turned around and looked at Ash and Nate with an expression of utmost gratitude.

"Good job, kids," she said, nodding at them with approval. "If it weren't for your bravery and quick thinking, we would've had a whole lot of destruction and hurt people on our hands."

"Ah, don't mention it, Officer Jenny," Ash replied, the teenage boy rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. "We were just helping people and Pokémon in need, that's all."

"Pika!" Pikachu squeaked in agreement. His torso and one of his ears were bandaged, having been hurt by the fall from the mecha.

"Well, just don't get yourselves into any further trouble tonight. Go get some rest." The head policewoman then examined Ash with a hint of concern. "All of that must've taken a whole lot of energy from you especially."

"I guess..."

Officer Jenny nodded one last time, then walked away to converse with some of her fellow officers, thus leaving Ash and the others alone. The raven-haired Trainer took this time to look at Clarice.

"Well," he said sheepishly, "I guess I helped you out again."

"Heh heh heh," chuckled the Performer. "It's funny how things work out like this, huh...?" Her cheeks turned to a light shade of pink, and she gently bit her lower lip. "Thank you, Ash, for rescuing me."

"You're welcome, Clarice. I'm always here to help."

"Pika!" added Pikachu.

Clarice's blush deepened even more, as she asked, "H-How's Fletchling...?"

"I don't know, but I had my friend Calem check on it. He can be trusted."

"I hope Fletchling's alright. After all, the Exhibition Showcase is tomorrow, and Fletchling and I have perfected and practiced so many new moves since the Master Class."

"I'm sure Fletchling's fine, Clarice. And if it isn't, then Nurse Joy can definitely work wonders on it! It'll be alright just in time for the Showcase!"

"That's true..." Clarice's smile widened, as the girl became impressed by Ash's immense, unrivaled optimism. "You always look on the bright side, don't you, Ash?"

"Well, there's always a bright side to everything! Even in losing a battle!"

"Pika, pikachu!" squeaked Pikachu, nodding his head in agreement.

"I suppose." Then, Clarice's hazel eyes widened. "Oh, I almost forgot!" She reached into the pocket of her skirt and pulled out something. "Here. I think this is yours..."

Ash's eyes widened in surprise. It was the blue handkerchief Serena gave back to him, the very same handkerchief he used to wrap around Clarice's arm earlier that day. Come to think of it, he realized Serena had returned the handkerchief to him in the exact same way as Clarice did. It was a pretty strange thought that dawned on him.

"My arm's all better now," Clarice continued, still blushing. "So...I thought you should have it back. That's why I was out here in the first place."

"Oh, Clarice!" Ash exclaimed with surprise. "You-You really didn't have to-"

"But I had to, Ash." The black-haired Performer held the handkerchief out towards him. "As thanks for not only saving me, but for helping me out earlier today. You've helped me twice in one day, without any regard for anything else. You were also prepared to sacrifice yourself for that green Pokémon. That...That, uh..."

The Performer strained to remember what kind of Pokémon the one in the cage was. During all of the chaos, she had been so preoccupied with her own safety, as well as the well-being of her Fletchling, that she never bothered to notice what species it was.

Upon seeing Clarice's struggle to remember Celebi's exact identity, Ash strained to think of something to say as well. Though he knew she was definitely a trustworthy person, he wasn't quite confident in having yet another person know all about the true circumstances behind Parker's attack. Things could get complicated. And besides...there was still one other poacher on the loose. He didn't want to endanger Clarice by having her associated with something potentially dangerous.

"Sewaddle," Ash blurted out, choosing the first Grass-type Pokémon that came to his head.

"Yeah, that's what I was thinking it was!" Clarice exclaimed, and Ash could literally sense a lightbulb popping up over her head. "You were about to risk yourself for that Sewaddle! That..." The Performer's eyes shone with admiration and...something else. "That's so admirable... I...I like a guy like that..."

Ash blinked. "Oh." Then, he smiled widely and brightly, having completely missed the true meaning of Clarice's last few words. "Well, thank you, Clarice!"

He took the blue handkerchief from the Performer's hand. As he did, he completely missed the deadpan look on Pikachu's face as the Mouse Pokémon glared at his oblivious Trainer.

Once Ash took the blue handkerchief, Clarice looked prepared to say something else, but her mouth just couldn't seem to formulate the right words. As a result, the Performer had to watch helplessly as Ash and Greninja left her to join the strange Trainer that intervened in the battle at the last minute, the one with the Emboar. The one called Nate Gray. Right now, he was proudly patting Emboar in the back as congratulations for the victory. In his arms was Celebi, who was wrapped in a beige blanket; the Time Travel Pokémon had managed to free it from its steel cage with a weak Flamethrower.

"Hey," Ash said, catching Nate's attention as he was proudly patting Emboar in the back, just several feet away from Clarice. "Did that Pokémon Poacher say your name was Nate?"

"Yeah, that's me," replied the brown-haired Trainer. Then, he recognized the look in Ash's eyes and asked with urgency, "Did you find any of my friends already, Ash?"

Ash quickly suppressed the feeling of uncomfortable shock at being recognized so easily by a strange. Then, he replied, "Yeah. Selene told us all about you."

Nate hung his head and exhaled a heavy sigh of relief. "Oh, thank goodness. Selene's safe. For a moment, I thought I lost all of them..." Then, he looked back up at Ash. "What about Yancy and Evelyn? Did you find them too?"

"Sorry, Nate. We haven't yet."

"Pika-pika, pikachu," Pikachu added, nodding apologetically.

"So, uh...who else knows about us?"

"Serena, Clemont, Bonnie," Ash began.

"I guess that much was to be expected," remarked Nate, who made a fleeting glance at Ash's clothes.

"Shauna, Tierno, Trevor, Calem, Miette, Grace, Layla, and Moose as well. Do...Do you know who any of them are...?"

"Not Layla and Moose. Well, actually I do; I know they're your aunt and uncle-in-law. I've just never met them in person. But the rest I definitely know personally."

"Oh, that's good to know-" Ash had fully processed Nate's sentence and became puzzled at a few certain words. "Wait a minute, aunt and uncle-in-"

"ASH!" a voice cried.

Ash and Nate turned to see Selene, Clemont, Bonnie, Tierno, Trevor, Calem, Grace, Layla, Moose, and Summer running up to them.

"NATEY!" Selene screamed.

"S-Selene!" Nate exclaimed in surprise as the little girl nearly tackled him to the ground while hugging his legs. "Oh, my goodness, Selene! I'm so glad to see that you're okay!"

"I'm okay, Natey. I really am." The girl then tightened her grip on the older boy's legs. "I missed you so much!"

Nate smiled softly and patted the top of Selene's head. "I missed you too, Selene."

Calem was the next one in the group to reach them, and as soon as he did, he punched Ash in the shoulder. Though there wasn't much force in the punch, Ash still reeled backward a little and clutched his shoulder in surprise.

"What was that for, Calem!" the Pallet Town native cried.

"For nearly giving me a heart attack!" Calem replied, his voice cracking a little as he shouted. "D'you have any idea what Serena could've done to me if you'd gotten yourself...you know!"

"What?"

"I saw what you did back there, falling out of that mecha to catch Cel-!"

Ash covered Calem's mouth. "Shhhhh!"

"Pika!" Pikachu squeaked.

"Wha- Why?!" Calem exclaimed as soon as Ash lowered his hand from his mouth.

"Clarice." Ash twitched his head towards the black-haired Performer, who smiled at being noticed by him and promptly waved. "She saw Celebi thought it was a Sewaddle."

"A _Sewaddle_?" Summer asked incredulously, the Pokémon Ranger raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah. I, uh...I'd prefer to keep it that way."

"That's true." The Ranger placed an index finger to her chin as she stared at Clarice. "She _does_ look pretty shady to me anyway-"

"NO, NO, NO!" Ash interrupted, shocked at this conclusion. "She can be trusted, Summer, I promise!"

Summer looked back at him with surprise. "Really?"

"Yeah! It's just that...I don't want her involved in anything that could be dangerous."

"But isn't that poacher already behind bars?" Tierno asked.

"Yeah!" exclaimed Bonnie. "We shouldn't be worried about that meanie anymore!"

"Dedenne!" squeaked Dedenne in agreement.

"Pichu-pi!" Pichu added, while Squishy chirped.

"That was just Parker," Nate suddenly said, catching everyone's attention. His face was grim.

"Parker?" repeated Grace, confused.

"Yeah. That's the poacher's name. He's all about serving his clients and getting paychecks. To heck with the Pokémon he poaches and anyone who gets in his way. He'll do anything to accomplish his goal." The brown-haired Trainer took a glance at all of the destruction Parker's mecha caused. "Prison's just a pushover for him, and that's why he decided to surrender. He needs time to recuperate so he can escape and rethink his strategies."

"Not if I can help it!" exclaimed Summer determinedly as she raised her Capture Styler. "That guy's not getting out of his cell, or I'll eat my Capture Styler!"

Calem, Tierno, and Trevor sweat-dropped at Summer's enthusiasm for heroics. As for Nate, he still looked very concerned; he redirected his gaze back to the others.

"And then there's Kay."

"Kay," Ash repeated. "So that's the other poacher that could be here?"

"Yeah. I've been in this timeline for three days and I haven't seen one trace of her."

"And that's supposed to be bad news...?" asked Clemont.

"Definitely. She's ten times as worse as Parker." Nate's eyes narrowed, and he stared off towards the mountains that surrounded Kiloude City. "She's somewhere planning something devious. I just know it."

An awkwardly tense silence filled the atmosphere, and everyone felt extremely uncomfortable. Realizing this, Nate looked back at the others, having chosen to break the ice.

"Oh, by the way, my name's Nate. Nate Gray. I'm pretty sure Selene told you guys all about me already. It's, uh...it's nice to meet you all." He cleared his throat. "Again."

Before Ash and the others could get themselves properly acquainted with Nate, they heard another voice calling out, "ASH!"

Everyone turned and saw Serena and Shauna running up to them. Shauna sighed with relief as she ran up to Tierno and Trevor and gave them both high-fives. As for Serena, she unexpectedly embraced Ash in a tight hug, startling the male Trainer. Bonnie immediately put on a crafty, know-it-all face.

"Wh-Whoa, S-Serena!" Ash exclaimed.

"Nurse Joy told us everything was all clear now and to come here," Serena replied, her voice quaking. "But most of all..." She broke the hug and started slamming her fists into Ash's shoulders with moderate energy, causing them to ache already. "I SAW WHAT YOU DID ON THE TV! JUMPING OUT OF THAT MACHINE LIKE THAT! THAT'S RECKLESS OF YOU! I MEAN, YOU COULD'VE... _could've_..."

The honey-blonde suddenly sniffled, and Ash realized her sapphire-blue eyes were wet with tears. Concluding that he had terrified one of his closest friends, the Trainer smiled warmly and placed his hands on her shoulders.

"But I'm fine now, Serena," he replied. "And Celebi's safe." His smile widened slightly with understanding. "But I'm sorry if I scared you, Serena. I promise, I'll stop trying to be a hero for today."

Serena chuckled dryly. "Yeah, right. You _never_ stop helping people in need."

"Well, of course!" Selene piped up suddenly. She released her grip from Nate's legs and latched herself onto Ash's next. "That's what makes Daddy so awesome!"

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

"D- _Daddy_?" Ash and Serena both asked at the same time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I sincerely hope you all had fun reading this action-packed sequence of events!
> 
> As you can see, the plot has begun to fall together even more with this chapter, and there are many turning points here. Ash finally learns that he's Selene's father, the group meets Nate, and Parker is arrested but the threat is not yet over. After all, only his Sceptile was taken into police custody; whatever happened to Chesnaught, Trevenant, and that horde of Hoppip, Skiploom, and Jumpluff?
> 
> Anyway, this story is gonna be taking a break from all the action sequences for about ten chapters or so. We've got an Exhibition Showcase to attend to, after all! So, look forward to that, for we're going to be having a lot of interesting interactions and developments with that arc.
> 
> Well, hope you enjoyed this chapter! TheCartoonFanatic01 is out. PEACE!


	11. Futures To Look Forward To

**The Beauté Hotel**

Yancy Ketchum sat at the edge of her bed, twiddling her fair-skinned fingers nervously. She proceeded to stare at the sleeping form of her new friend Blanche, who was occupying the bed next to her. Then, the pink-haired girl began to reminisce about recent events.

It had only been a week ago when she first realized that she had traveled back in time as an indirect result of Celebi's attempt to protect her. The time-traveling aspect was confirmed to her when she awoke in a smaller Santalune City and met her Aunts Alexa and Viola. The two sisters mistook her for a present-day Pokémon Performer, which she decided to go along with out of caution towards the dangers of tampering with the original timeline. As a result, Alexa and Viola redirected her to Kiloude City, where an Exhibition Showcase was conveniently taking place.

She then arrived at what she assumed was Vaniville City, which was nothing more than a medium-sized town at that point. She wasn't sure if the Kalos Monorail system was in service during this time, so she merely continued onward to Kiloude on foot. On her way there, she met and befriended Blanche, Kazalie, and Shulin, who were also Performers. Together, the quartet spent a couple of days reaching Kiloude, upon which they (or more like Blanche, Kazalie, and Shulin) began exploring its streets and locales for the first time.

And now, they were staying the night in the Beauté Hotel, a nice, quaint hotel located in the so-called "Old Town", which was the northeastern region of the city. It was a good thing Shulin elected to pay for their stay, because Yancy knew she lost her Poké Dollars during the time-traveling incident.

Now that she was here, Yancy started to become nervous. After all, she remembered her parents telling her, time and time again, about how they first fell in love in Kiloude City, during this very Exhibition Showcase. This meant her parents (or at least their teenage selves) were here as well. There was a chance she would encounter them. Though she wanted nothing more than to seek their help, Yancy feared that such an interaction would have disastrous consequences for the future. And she didn't want to do anything that would erase her own existence.

_**"Yancy?"** _

The pink-haired girl turned her head towards her longtime friend and first Pokémon, Florges; the Garden Pokémon was looking at her with concern.

"I'm alright, Flo," Yancy replied. "Don't worry about me."

But Florges was unconvinced. _**"You can't fool me, Yancy. Not with that aura of yours. ...You're worried, aren't you?"**_

Knowing that she was caught in a lie, Yancy sighed heavily. "That's the understatement of the century, Flo. I mean...do you know where we are?"

_**"Kiloude City, some years ago."** _

"I know that. But...this is just like the bedtime stories Mom and Dad used to tell us. The stories of their adventures. This has to be the one where they realized their feelings for one another...during this Exhibition Showcase."

_**"And you're worried about meeting them here and having to ask them for help."** _

Yancy sighed again. "Yeah, pretty much..."

 _ **"Well..."**_ Flo started thinking. _**"You can't tell them you're their daughter...**_ **but _..."_** She looked at her Trainer with a knowing expression. _**"That still doesn't mean you can't seek their help."**_

"Huh?" Yancy looked at her Garden Pokémon with confusion. "What do you mean, Flo?"

_**"Just don't tell them you're their daughter from the future. Make up something, anything! Just have them help us look for Selene, Nate, Evelyn, and Celebi. And once we find all of them, we get your parents to look away and that's when we travel back to our timeline!"** _

Yancy's blue eyes widened, as a lightbulb figuratively appeared at the top of her head.

"That's IT!" she exclaimed. "Flo, you're a GENIUS!"

"H- _Huh_...?"

Yancy covered her mouth in alarm, and she and Flo watched as Blanche's eyelids fluttered open. The petite, bluish-gray-haired Performer sat up on her bed and rubbed her eyes, while Kazalie and Shulin were also stirring in their beds at the opposite side of the hotel suite.

"Y... _Yancy_...?" Blanche moaned, as soon as she stopped rubbing her eyes. "W-Who are you talking to...?"

"No one!" Yancy replied quickly, while Flo simply remained quiet.

"Oh. O-Okay..." The Performer took a brief moment to yawn. "I thought I heard voices..."

"Oh, don't tell us you're going _crazy_ , Blanche," Shulin replied, her eye glinting slyly. "That'd hurt your chances in the Exhibition Showcase..."

"I'm not going crazy, Shulin!" Blanche squeaked, her eyes shimmering in an adorable expression. " _Especially_ not directly before the Showcase!"

Kazalie and Shulin both merely chuckled at Blanche's reaction. Meanwhile, Yancy sighed with relief, and as quietly as she could. For a moment, she thought that she had been caught in another lie tonight, and that she would have to explain everything to her newfound friends.

And Arceus knew how hard and unbelievable such an explanation was going to be...

* * *

**Near Kiloude Square**

"D- _Daddy_?"

Ash was flabbergasted beyond belief from what he had just heard coming from Selene's mouth. Knowing Serena was the little girl's mother was one thing but... _him_ , the _father_? Surely his hearing was deceiving him! But judging by everyone else's reactions of shock, surprise, and disbelief, the Pallet Town native knew he certainly didn't mishear anything. That didn't make the entire revelation all the more comforting...did it...?

As for Serena, her mind was racing at Selene's words, but her heart was fluttering like a Butterfree. It seems that the whole mystery of Selene's father's identity was now finally solved...and it was even better than she had ever hoped it'd be! Ash Ketchum, the kind, courageous, selfless boy she loved for so long, was the _father_ of her future daughter...and therefore her future... _future_... She was EXTREMELY glad that Miette wasn't around to witness this newest revelation.

And as for everyone else in the group, their jaws might've as well been touching the ground...with the possible exception of Grace, Layla, Moose, and Summer, who had already heard Selene out Ash as her father back at the Blue Suns Deluxe Hotel. But that didn't mean they already accepted this revelation since that time.

"I-I'm sorry, Selene," Clemont piped up; the inventor hastily adjusted his glasses when they threatened to slide off the bridge of his sweaty nose. "Wh-What did you just call Ash?"

Selene shot him an adorable look of innocuous confusion. "Daddy, of course," she replied.

"Oh." The blond inventor blinked twice. "So, Selene...what did you just call Ash?"

Selene giggled. "You're so funny, Uncle Clemont!"

"Selene's telling the truth," Grace said, attracting everyone else's attention. "When she saw Ash fall out of that machine on the TV, she called him 'Daddy'."

"We were there to witness it," added Layla.

"Sooooo..." Bonnie said, her blue eyes narrowed, "does this mean Ash and Serena will be married in the future?"

" _Duh_ ," Selene replied, looking at her past aunt with a look of disbelief. "That's why I call them Daddy and Mommy, Auntie Bonnie!"

"Pika..." Pikachu said, just as shocked as his Trainer. Even Greninja was taken aback.

"Nene..." Dedenne added.

"Pichu!" Pichu squeaked, just as much of a know-it-all as her unofficial owner.

It was awkwardly silent for a few seconds. During that time, a glum Shauna implicitly handed Bonnie ten Poké Dollars. The little girl grinned triumphantly as she counted each bill.

"Wait a minute," a girl's voice suddenly said, her voice laced with a hint of hostility and suspicion, "what's this about Ash getting married in the future?"

Clarice stepped forward, her Fletchling perched on her shoulder, and Ash realized he had forgotten about her being in close proximity to the group. How much exactly did she overhear?

"Who are you?" Serena asked, taken aback by Clarice's sudden appearance. Ash also realized that Serena had arrived right after the others were discussing on what to do with Clarice.

"My name's Clarice," Clarice replied, gesturing to herself while a smug expression appeared on her face, "and I'd _really_ like to know the identity of the girl who's apparently marrying Ash."

Everyone saw Bonnie's triumphant grin widen even more as she pointed an index finger towards Serena. The honey-blonde wanted nothing more than to throttle the little girl, here and now, for being the teasing troublemaker that she was. But that feeling of outrage was buried by her growing annoyance at the sneer that was forming on Clarice's face.

"You, huh?" the black-haired Performer said, her voice cold and slow. Her eyes narrowed at the honey-blonde as she examined her from head to toe. "I remember you. You're that Performer from the Coumarine City Showcase. The one with the Fennekin that tripped." She bared her teeth, making her sneer look even more nasty. "Poor, poor Fennekin. What an embarrassing way to lose. But I really can't blame the Pokémon. After all, it all boils down to the quality of the Performer's methods."

Recognizing the implicit insult in Clarice's words, Serena retorted cleverly, "Well, if I can recall, you're the one who just slapped a tie and a top hat on your Fletchling for the Theme Performance. If anything, _your_ clothing choices just made poor, poor Fletchling look _terrible_!"

The color drained from Clarice's face, and Serena grinned triumphantly at her throwback. Then, Clarice growled, "Listen here, blondie, you've got some nerve. I mean, who do you think you are, calling dibs on Ash like that?! I'll have you know that Ash rescued me twice in one day. _One day_. That's how much he cares about me!"

Serena's eyes bulged out in disbelief. " _Really_? _That_? That's all you got?! HA! I've known Ash since I was a _child_!"

Clarice paled even more at Serena's retort, but then, Calem piped up, "But I thought you only knew Ash from that one summer camp way back when-"

"ZIP IT, CALEM!"

"Ahhhhhhhhhh, so you _haven't_ known Ash for that long!" Clarice exclaimed.

"I've still been traveling with him for months!" snapped Serena. "That's WAY longer than the amount of time you've known him for, obviously!"

"That doesn't amount to anything!"

"Of course it does!"

"No, it doesn't!"

"YES, IT DOES, YOU DWEEB!"

**"WHAT'D YOU CALL ME?!"**

"Uh, guys...?" Ash asked, confused about what was going on. (Hey, just because he learned he was about to be Selene's father doesn't mean he was no longer oblivious to the concept of romance.) "Can't we please just talk about...whatever you're talking about as friends...?"

"Pika!" Pikachu squeaked in anguished agreement.

**" _NO_!"**

Serena and Clarice's combined outburst of rage and hatred shocked and terrified not only Ash, but everyone else in the group, sans Selene. Instead, the little girl puffed her cheeks out, and then stood between Serena and Clarice as the two Performers now stared daggers at each other. Her move attracted the attention of both Serena and Clarice.

" _Selene_!" Serena exclaimed in a wheeze.

"Who are you?" Clarice asked, legitimately surprised by, and curious about, the newest appearance.

"You stay away from my Mommy and Daddy!" Selene shouted. "Mommy and Daddy belong together and that's that!"

Clarice blinked, then she looked up at Serena with a bitter frown. "Keep your little sister outta this! It's not healthy, filling ridiculous and nonsensical ideas into children's heads!"

"You're a meanie and a homewrecker!" Selene continued to shout. "And-And-And your cl-clothes aren't even cute!"

The Performer's eyes widened in outrage, and then they narrowed into slits. " _Excuse me_?! How RUDE!"

Serena's eyes widened at Selene, and she couldn't help but admire her future daughter's spunk. As for Clarice, she shot both of them a hateful look before turning her back on them.

"Hmph! Let's settle the matter of who Ash should be with with our Exhibition Performance match!" she declared boldly. "The one who gets the farthest or gets the most points gets to keep him!"

Serena's eyes widened at such a challenge. But before she could respond, Selene squeaked, "You're on! And Mommy's gonna kick your butt for sure!"

Clarice shot Selene an expression that was a mixture of outrage and confusion. Then, with one last huff, the black-haired Performer marched off, Fletchling looking at her with concern all the while. Everyone else watched the girl go, and they could feel the awkward tension in the atmosphere subsiding in the process. Once she was gone, Serena looked down at Selene.

"You didn't have to do that, Selene," she said.

"But I had to!" the seven-year-old protested. "I'm not gonna let her take Daddy away from you! Not when we're in the past!"

"That _does_ make a whole lot of sense..." Nate remarked.

"Well," Summer said awkwardly, as she dusted her hands aimlessly, "now that _that_ drama's done, I say we take Selene and Celebi back to the Pokémon Center-"

"We can't," Ash interrupted. "It's been totally destroyed in the battle."

" _Really_? Aw, great. What am I gonna tell Nurse Joy now...?"

"And what're we gonna do in the meantime?" Shauna asked. "Selene and Celebi need a place to stay, and Celebi needs more healing!"

To Ash's surprise, Selene latched onto his leg again. "I wanna stay with Mommy and Daddy!" she proclaimed.

"Wh-What?!" Grace exclaimed, surprised.

"S-Stay with you?" repeated Serena, just as surprised by the proposal.

"Mm-hm," Selene nodded adorably while rubbing her face against Ash's pant leg. "I feel a whole lot safer with Mommy and Daddy..."

"Wherever you go, I'm going too," Nate replied. "I'm not gonna lose sight of you again, Selene, and we still have to look for Yancy and Evelyn, wherever they may be."

"But we can't possibly afford two extra persons in our group!" Moose said. "C-Can we...?"

Everyone's heads turned towards Grace. The former jockey looked from each person to the next, puzzled at all the attention at first. Then, when she deduced their shared train of thought, she sighed heavily.

"Fine, fine, I'll call your Uncle Dawson, Serena," she said. She then exhaled sharply. "It's a good thing it's morning time where he lives..."

* * *

Unbeknownst to anyone in the group, they were being surreptitiously observed by a Hoppip, Skiploom, and Jumpluff. The trio floated high in the air, at a safe distance, using their advanced cameras to record each and every movement made by every last member of the group below.

* * *

**Room 30025, the Blue Suns Deluxe Hotel  
A couple of hours later**

Fortunately for the group, Serena's Uncle Dawson was in high spirits enough to book additional reservations for Selene and Nate without asking any questions. Now, the two of them were honored guests at Room 30025, the room belonging to Ash, Serena, Clemont, Bonnie, and their Pokémon. As for Celebi, it was examined again by Nurse Joy, who said it did not sustain any further serious injuries while it was temporarily back in captivity. As a result, Selene volunteered to watch over the Time Travel Pokémon while it recovered from its injuries, including a broken arm.

And now, the entire group (sans Grace, Layla, Moose, and Summer) was congregated in the middle of Room 30025, talking to Selene and Nate about what was in store for them in their futures. And boy did they learn quite a lot about their future selves!

A few months after the Kalos League, Trevor started seriously pursuing photography as a career. As a result, he became Viola's apprentice, and she taught him many skills in the art of the field. Once his education was completed, he became a professional photographer specializing in people and Pokémon alike. As an adult, he married and had two children, Mackenzie and Tyler. The former followed in her mother's footsteps and became a Performer, while the latter became Trevor's own apprentice in photography.

Tierno continued to incorporate dancing in his battling strategies, and he became quite good at it. His love for dancing eventually culminated in him founding an academy that taught Trainers and their Pokémon how to incorporate dancing into battles, Contests, Showcases, Musicals, and so on and so forth. Like Trevor, he married and had two children, Benji and Nali; the former followed in his father's footsteps, while the latter was a young, shy little girl still pondering on what she should do when she got her first Pokémon.

Shauna eventually replaced Monsieur Pierre when he retired from hosting Pokémon Showcases due to a bad back that would always give out. Not unexpectedly, Shauna was a natural at it. She also married none other than _Calem_ , who by that point had become an assistant to Alain, who was now the head Pokémon researcher studying Mega Evolution. Together, the two had two children, Savannah and Elio; Savannah was a Performer like her mother, while Elio was one of Selene's best friends. The present-day Shauna was shocked, and a little pleased, at the revelation of her marrying Calem. Calem, on the other hand, was conveniently in the bathroom at the time and did not learn that he would be marrying Shauna, for everyone chose to stay silent about it for Shauna's sake.

When she came of age, Bonnie started her own Pokémon journey with Dedenne as her starter, and she also gained full ownership over Squishy, much to the excitement of her present-day counterpart. She followed in both Ash and Serena's footsteps simultaneously, juggling between dual goals of winning the Kalos League and becoming Kalos Queen. In the end, she made it to the Top 4 in the Kalos League before losing. She also made it to the semifinals of the Master Class before losing. As an adult, she married Max Maple, Ash's traveling companion in Hoenn, and settled in Petalburg City with him when he became a Pokémon Professor specializing in the impact that Kyogre, Groudon, and Rayquaza had on the world. The two had twin daughters, Allie and Maddie, also good friends of Selene's.

Clemont finally overcame the flaws his inventions kept having, and eventually became the most revered inventor in modern history, being responsible for creating much of the technology the world would be using twenty years from the present day. His most famous invention was the Pokémon-Amie system, which would scan a Pokémon; use the acquired data to measure its affection, fullness, and enjoyment under a Trainer's care; and give advice to Trainers on what they could do or not do to increase these stats even more. In his personal life, Clemont married Korrina, the Shalour City Gym Leader, and had two children with her, Dash and Finn. Dash was selected by his great-grandfather Gurkinn to become the next Successor, while Finn chose to follow in his father's footsteps, even though his attempts at inventing devices were just as explosive as the present-day Clemont's. Finn was also Yancy's childhood friend.

As for Serena, she decided to experiment with Pokémon Contests, going to Hoenn once Ash was done with the Kalos League. There, she became a full-fledged Coordinator and became rivals with none other than May and Dawn, Ash's old traveling companions (much to the dismay of the present-day Serena, for she remembered Dawn as a possible girlfriend of Ash's). During her travels in Hoenn, Serena had encounters with the revived Teams Aqua and Magma, both of whom she eventually helped defeat. She also managed to compete in the Grand Festival, but lost to a Coordinator named Lisia in the finals.

Following her stint in Contests, Serena returned to Kalos, where she decided to participate in a brand-new competition called the Double Battle Maison, which naturally emphasized Double Battles. A combination of Contests, Showcases, and the Battle Chateau, the objective was to travel to four different "Battle Maisons" located across Kalos, partner up with another competitor (who would be one's partner for the rest of the season), battle a dozen other competitors in stylish Double Battles, and win "Maison Items" (two individual articles of regal clothing, one for each member of the pair). Afterwards, all four Maison Items were to be used to make a formal, medieval-style suit and dress, which each pair of competitors would have to wear for the fifth and final competition that was always held at the Laurier Maison in Kiloude. The pair who emerged victorious would be crowned Maison Duke and/or Duchess.

As fate would have it, Serena's partner for the first-ever Double Battle Maison season was Ash. He had heard about the competition and decided to participate, naturally without getting proper education on the sport. And it was during that time when they properly reciprocated their feelings for one another.

Following this, Serena decided to participate in Showcases again (coincidentally at the same time as Bonnie did), with Ash cheering her on all the way. This time, she defeated the reigning Kalos Queen at the Master Class (who, interestingly enough, was not Aria at that time) and became the new Kalos Queen. Serena held on to the position for five years, during which she became a worldwide celebrity. She was eventually dethroned, fittingly, by a Pokémon Performer in her first Showcase season. Soon after she had become Kalos Queen, Serena married Ash and had three children with him: Yancy, Red, and Selene, of course.

"What do I do after I'm no longer Kalos Queen?" Serena asked, after listening in awe to Selene and Nate's story.

"You become a big movie star!" Selene exclaimed excitedly.

The honey-blonde's eyes widened with surprise. "A-An actress?" she repeated. "Y-You mean like Diantha?"

The girl nodded. "Yep!"

"Pichu pichu!" Pichu squeaked excitedly.

"Wow, you're a movie star, Serena!" Bonnie exclaimed. "I'd love to see the movies you're in!"

"Dedenne!" Dedenne cried, while Squishy chirped with interest.

"What kind of movies am I in?" Serena asked.

"Mostly mushy, lovey-dovey stuff," replied Selene, who briefly had a disgusted expression as she fed Celebi a small Occa Berry. Then, her face lit up again when she remembered something. "But I just LOVE the TV show you're in!"

"What show is that?"

" _Eevee's Café_! It's set in a world where there are no people, just Pokémon! Except they live just like people! There's a cute little Eevee and all of her evolved forms running a small café in a big forest city." Selene started to squirm with absolute delight. "It's so funny and so _cute_!"

"Wow, that sounds like a cool show!" Ash exclaimed excitedly. "I mean, a world where there's just Pokémon? That sounds interesting! I'd love to see it!"

"Pika!" added Pikachu.

Serena was also impressed by the description. "I guess I'm voicing Eevee," she said.

"Actually, you're Sylveon," Nate said.

"Really?" An image of her beloved Sylveon flashed across Serena's head for a second. "Sylveon?"

"I think Serena would be a great Sylveon!" remarked Bonnie.

"Me too!" Tierno added, hearts literally in his eyes. "It just suits her so well..."

Shauna merely sighed and shrugged at her friend's behavior.

"Wow..." Serena blinked slowly, but with surprise, as she continued to absorb all of this information about her future. She could imagine her older self, on the top of the world, maintaining a highly successful career, and on top of it all, living a good life with Ash and her children. It...It was such a great future to look forward to!

"What about me?!" Ash asked, his voice dripping with anticipation; he sounded like a little kid awaiting his Christmas present. "What am I like in the future?! Oh, oh, do I win the Kalos League?!"

"Not really," Nate replied.

Everyone could've sworn they saw Ash's heart splitting in half. Even Celebi looked at the Pallet Town native with concern.

"WHAT?! W- _Why_...?"

"Pika?" Pikachu added.

"You lose to Alain in the finals..." Nate sweat-dropped. "You really don't wanna know the details..."

Ash hung his head low in absolute shame. "Not again..." he moaned.

"Pika-pika..." Pikachu said, the Mouse Pokémon looking at his Trainer with a mixture of sympathy and concern.

But Nate smiled. "Don't worry, Ash! After that, you become a whole lot more awesome!"

The raven-haired Trainer's head shot up, and the youthful, eager look was back in his face. The same thing unanimously applied with Pikachu as well.

" _Really_?! How?!"

"Well, first thing's first, three years from now, you will lead a massive resistance against Team X."

"Team X?" Clemont asked.

"What's that?" Trevor asked.

"Pika?" Pikachu asked.

"An organization that wanted to use the Legendary Pokémon Xerneas to make everyone across the world immortal."

"Xerneas?" repeated Serena. She, as well as Ash, Clemont, and Bonnie, immediately remembered their encounter with Xerneas in the Allearth Forest.

Nate nodded in response. "Mm-hm. Their leader, a guy named Xander, lived a life full of tragedy. He kept losing everyone that he cared deeply about, one after another. So, he wanted to capture Xerneas and use a so-called ultimate weapon to spread its powers of eternal life over everyone. That way, he and everyone else would never have to live through the pain and suffering of losing a loved one ever again."

"That sounds very sad..." Bonnie said, while Selene nodded sympathetically.

"Nene," Dedenne added.

"But wait!" Calem exclaimed suddenly, looking rather alarmed. "If that Xander guy got what he wanted, then absolutely no one would die! As awful as dying would be, what would be the point of life if you're just gonna be on this earth forever? If anything else, it'd become awfully boring!"

"Oh yeah, that's true..." Bonnie replied, while Selene nodded again sympathetically.

"Nene," Dedenne added.

"That's exactly why you had to stop him," Nate said, looking at Ash. "And stop him you did. You became a big hero in the process. Everyone knew your name. Everyone admired you." The brown-haired boy then rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "Including me."

"So after I stopped Team X, then what?" asked Ash. "What else happened to me? Or, I mean, what else is _gonna_ happen to me?"

"Pika?" added Pikachu.

"Well, after you stop Team X," replied Nate, "you will merge the Pokémon Rangers and the International Police into one law enforcement superpower organization: the Guardians. They're the top law enforcement agency in the world, and you are the leader, even though you don't really do much."

Ash blinked. "The Guardians?"

"Yeah. You named it after the Aura Guardians."

"Aura Guardians?" Bonnie asked. "What are those?"

"They're like the Pokémon Rangers, Bonnie," replied Clemont, "but they all existed a long time ago, in a time when Poké Balls weren't even invented yet. The Aura Guardians no longer exist."

Bonnie blinked in shock at the revelation. "Really? No Poké Balls? But...where's the fun in catching Pokémon?"

"Actually, Clemont," Ash piped up, "the Aura Guardians _do_ still exist. Sorta, at least."

"Really?" Clemont looked at his friend and adjusted his glasses. "How do you know that, Ash?"

"I met two on my journey. One of them was named Riley. I met him in Sinnoh, and we worked together to defend a place called Iron Island from a group of villains named Team Galactic. The other was a Lucario. He..." Ash smiled as he reminisced about his brief time with the Aura Pokémon in the lands of Rota. "He was one of the bravest and truest souls I've ever known. You see, Pikachu was in a bit of a pickle, and if it weren't for Lucario, I wouldn't have gotten Pikachu back." He sighed sadly. "I still miss him..."

"Pikapi..." Pikachu said, patting his Trainer on the back of his head.

Meanwhile, Clemont was rubbing his chin. "Well, it _does_ make sense for Pokémon like Lucario and Riolu to be more in tune with Aura than other Pokémon species..."

"And, uh..." Ash rubbed the back of his head. "I actually can use a little Aura myself..."

It took about ten minutes for Ash and Nate to calm down all the shocked clamor from everyone else. Once that was done, Bonnie looked at Nate and asked, "What else does Ash do in the future?"

"Well, he's a Frontier Brain," he replied.

"I am?!" Ash exclaimed in surprise, as he remembered Scott offering a Frontier Brain position after he defeated Brandon. Did he reconsider turning it down then?

"Yeah. After the whole Team X incident, Scott approached you with an offer to become a Frontier Brain and you agreed. You helped him set up Battle Frontier facilities in Kalos, and since then, you've been the Tower Knight. Your facility is the Prism Tower in Lumiose City."

"Really?" Clemont asked, surprised. "So Ash and I live together?"

"Nah, you closed your Gym, gave Prism Tower to Daddy, and moved in with Auntie Korrina at her Gym!" Selene replied.

"Oh. So I'm no longer a Gym Leader twenty years from now, huh?"

"No. You're a member of the Elite Four!"

"Pichu pichu!" Pichu squeaked, her mouth currently full with Grepa Berries provided to her by Clemont at Selene's request.

...

...

...

Clemont's face paled. "Th-The-The Elite Four, y-you say?"

Selene nodded. "Mm-hm!"

...

...

...

...

...

The inventor slowly stood up and shakily asked, "Can you excuse me for a sec?"

He proceeded to leave for the bathroom, and Bonnie merely shot her older brother a crafty look before refocusing on Ash and Nate.

"So Ash is a Premier Brain-" the young blonde girl said.

"Frontier Brain, Bonnie," Serena corrected quickly.

"-An Aura Guardian, the leader of a bunch of special cops, _and_ someone who saved the _whole wide world_?"

"Yeah, that about sums it up," Nate replied.

"Well, I wouldn't call myself an actual Aura Guardian..." remarked Ash modestly. "I only know how to use Aura. There's a big difference between those two concepts, Bonnie."

"But still," Shauna said with admiration, "you sound like a really awesome person in the future, Ash. Everyone else's futures totally pale in comparison."

Ash chuckled sheepishly. "Ah, I don't know about that, Shauna..."

"It's true, Ash," Nate responded, his face glowing brightly with almost childlike admiration. "You're a real hero to my generation. I...I've always wanted to be just like you..." Then, he quickly added, "So did every other guy in my Trainers' School class."

Ash's auburn eyes widened at Nate's honest, heartfelt admission. He simply couldn't believe he was _that_ famous twenty years from now. Not that it surprised him; after all, he had been accomplishing so many astounding and outlandish feats ever since he got Pikachu as his first Pokémon. It was just...so _foreign_ to him, knowing that his identity was a household name to many households across the world in the future. The Pallet Town native had been so absorbed in training Pokémon, trying to win Pokémon Leagues, and getting closer to achieving his goal of becoming a Pokémon Master, that this possibility never crossed his mind, and with good reason.

He honestly didn't know what to think of all of this...

"So," Bonnie said with curiosity, dispelling Ash's thoughts in the process, "what do _you_ do, Nate?"

"Nenene!" squeaked Dedenne, while Squishy chirped with interest.

"Well," the brown-haired teenager replied, "twenty years from now, I'm traveling around Kalos, like what you guys are all doing. I'm traveling in a group of five, including myself."

"Really?! Who are your friends?"

"Well, there's Lane. He's a hitchhiker and cartographer who has made it his mission to document the geography of Kalos, even all the places no one else has ever been." Nate smiled a little. "He's also one of the best chefs I've ever seen."

"Sounds like my friend Brock," Ash remarked nostalgically.

"Then there's Constance. She wants to make her Pokémon go beyond their maximum point of strength and endurance. Her goal is to beat the Kalos League and become the Champion, since she tried three times before and could never get past the semifinals. She's pretty tough to people and Pokémon alike, but she can be a nice person too...in her own way."

"Huh," said Calem. "Sounds like someone I'd like to meet and battle..."

"And then there's Finn, your-" Nate then noticed that Clemont was still in the bathroom. "I mean, Clemont's son. You already know what he wants to do."

"Yeah, he sure _does_ remind me of a certain someone..." Bonnie replied slyly.

"Huh?" Selene asked, tilting her head in curiosity. Clearly she had no idea what her past honorary aunt was talking about.

"And who's your fourth friend?" asked Serena, though she had a pretty good idea on who it would be.

"Yancy." Nate smiled softly as he reminisced about his pink-haired friend. It was a look that puzzled the honey-blonde a little. "She's a great Pokémon Performer, just like you, Serena..."

" _Really_?"

But before Serena could ask Nate for more information, Trevor suddenly asked, "And what're _you_ doing, Nate?"

"Why, I'm challenging the Kalos Battle Frontier," replied Nate.

"Really?" Ash's interest was piqued even more. "How many Symbols do you have right now?"

"Four." Nate reached into his pocket, pulled out a gray metal case, and opened it, revealing four golden Symbols that Ash had never seen before. "They're the Passion Symbol, the Adaptability Symbol, the Strength Symbol, and the Swift Symbol." He then looked at Ash with a determined gleam in his eye. "You're the last Frontier Brain that I need to beat. You hold the fifth Symbol that I need to conquer the Battle Frontier: the Bond Symbol."

Ash continued to stare into the four brand-new Symbols, all the while remembering his own seven Symbols sitting in a wooden plaque back at home.

"Bond Symbol, huh...?"

"Yep. That's what it's called." Nate put his Symbol case away and raised a clenched fist of determination. "And I'm training really hard to make sure I win that Symbol on my first try!"

"Well, I still think that's not gonna happen!" Selene exclaimed defiantly. "Daddy will beat you for sure! You're gonna have a very hard time getting that Symbol, Natey!"

Nate grinned back at the little girl. "Oh, we'll see about that, Selene! I think I'm strong enough at this point to beat Ash!"

Selene shook her head. "Nuh-uh! It takes infinity times infinity years to beat Daddy!"

"Ah, grow up, Selene. I think it's about time you saw your daddy lose!"

"In your dreams, Natey!"

Nate and Selene both stared at each other, a fiery passion alive in their eyes. Everyone else could've sworn they saw volts of electricity shooting between their eyes.

"I bet you that even young Daddy can beat you in a battle!" Selene declared.

"What?" Ash asked, stunned by Selene extending this challenge.

"Oh, really? HA! You're on, Selene!" Nate looked at Ash with a certain gleam in his eye. "What do you say, Ash? Wanna battle me tomorrow, see how strong your Pokémon can match up to mine?"

The Pallet Town native blinked in surprise. "R- _Really_?"

"Yeah! I need as much preparation for my upcoming match against your future self anyway. And since I'm already here, twenty years in the past, I thought that battling against your future self's past self...as in you...would be the perfect form of practice for me." Nate chuckled a little. "Can't believe I said something like that..."

Before he could even consider his options, Ash's mind was immediately filled with the memory of Nate's strange Emboar, which seemed to boast the same ability as Greninja. Realizing that this was the best practice he and Greninja could get for utilizing the Ash-Greninja form, the Pallet Town native smiled determinedly.

"You got it, Nate!" he replied. "Challenge accepted!"

"Alright! We'll battle tomorrow!"

"Tom- _Tomorrow_?" Serena asked. "But the Exhibition Showcase is tomorrow!"

"Well," Shauna remarked, "it _does_ start at noon. I think Ash and Nate will have enough time to have their battle."

"Then it's settled!" exclaimed Nate. "Ash and I will have our battle tomorrow morning!"

"Sounds like a good idea," Ash said, nodding his head in agreement.

"Yippee!" Selene cried, raising her fists in excitement. "Young Daddy and Natey are gonna battle! It's gonna be so, so, SO awesome!"

"Pichu pichu!" Pichu squeaked with just as much excitement.

"Biiiii..." Celebi responded with interest.

"Wow, a battle between Ash and Nate," Trevor remarked. "I can't wait to see who'll win. Both of you guys seem like powerful Trainers if you were able to take down a guy like Parker!"

"I'm also pumped!" Tierno added.

"Well," Serena said, raising her index finger and wagging it, "we're not gonna have a good battle if we're not all rested up by tomorrow."

"Yeah, I think we should all go to sleep now," added Shauna. "We've spent too much time talking about the future."

" _Awwwww_..." Selene and Bonnie moaned at the same time. "But I'm..." Both girls yawned simultaneously, and their voices then became a little groggy. "Not _sleepy_..."

"Nenene..." Dedenne groaned, the Antenna Pokémon also struggling to ward off its drowsiness.

"No buts, girls," Serena replied sagely. "We _all_ have something fun to look forward to tomorrow, and how are we gonna have the most fun out of it if we're all just gonna be tired?"

"She's got a point," Calem remarked in agreement.

"But I still have a bunch of questions to ask Nate!" Tierno moaned childishly, his shoulders slumped.

"Same here!" Trevor cried.

"Then you can just save them for tomorrow!" replied Shauna. The dark-skinned Performer stood up, grabbed Tierno and Trevor, and half-dragged them out of their sitting places and out of the room. "Good night, guys!"

"Good night, Shauna!" Serena called. "We'll be seeing you tomorrow!"

After Shauna, Tierno, and Trevor all left, Calem stood up as well.

"I guess I'll be retiring for the night too," he said, glancing at Serena. "Night, cuz."

"Good night, Calem," Serena replied.

At that moment, she remembered Nate saying that Calem would be marrying Shauna in the future, while Calem was conveniently in the bathroom. She wondered if she should tell him about the revelation, but before she could reach a decision, she realized that her cousin already left. As a result, she decided that Shauna would tell him for her. They were sharing the same bedroom anyway, after all.

That last thought made Serena giggle a little.

"Alright, let's go sleep now!" Ash proclaimed. He looked at Nate with a determined look. "I'll be seeing _you_ tomorrow!"

"Same here!" replied Nate as he began setting up a makeshift bed on the sofa he had been sitting on.

"Wait," Selene suddenly said. "Where am _I_ gonna sleep?"

"I guess with Bonnie," replied Serena. "She's small so there's still a lot of room on her bed."

"HEY! I'm not small, Serena!" Bonnie exclaimed, her cheeks puffed out.

But as for Selene, the black-haired girl was extremely overjoyed at the prospect. "YAY! I get to sleep with Auntie Bonnie! Yay yay YAY!"

"Pi-CHU!" Pichu squeaked happily.

With that, Selene hugged Bonnie tightly, much to the other young girl's dismay.

As for Clemont, he was still in the bathroom, doing Arceus knows what.

* * *

**Room 30024**

"I still can't believe that this is happening..."

Having just overheard portions of the group's conversation in the next room, Grace nervously paced around her own hotel suite, biting her fingernails and tapping her hip compulsively as she did so. Layla and Moose sat on the bed they shared, watching the former jockey deal with the completely confounding nature of the whole situation. As for Grace's Fletchling, it was perched on the bedpost of its Trainer's own bed, watching Grace with worry.

"Why are you so worried, sis?" Layla asked. "I think it's a relief knowing Serena's guaranteed to have a good life ten, twenty years down the road!"

"Maybe we should ask those kids about _our_ future, honey..." Moose remarked with a legitimate look of intrigue on his face. "Perhaps they'll tell us something about our own kids."

"I _would_ like to know how good our parenting will be..."

"You don't need to know," Grace interjected, still pacing as she spoke. "We all know you two are gonna be great parents to the girls."

"Thanks for the support, Grace, but to be honest, that's not all I'd like to learn about."

"The future holds a lot of stuff unknown to us," Moose added. "Maybe if we could make at least _some_ of that stuff known-"

"If you're gonna worry about what's gonna happen in the future," interrupted Grace harshly, "then the chances of _that_ happening are just gonna rise! Bad thoughts lead to bad choices, which lead to bad things!" She suddenly retched a little. "My goodness, I can't believe I just used one of Mom's lines!"

"Wow, I can't believe that either..." deadpanned Layla.

"One of _Mom's_ lines! One of..." Grace stopped, and then let out a sharp sigh. "I guess I really _have_ become that old..." The former Rhyhorn Racer went over to her bed and collapsed on it, burying her face in her luxury pillows. "I can't believe I've reached that point..."

Layla blinked. "Is that why you're so fidgety about this whole thing, sis? You're...You're having a _midlife crisis_?"

"Why?" Moose asked, puzzled. "You're still a bit young, Grace!"

"Yeah..." Grace replied, her voice muffled by the fabric of the pillows. " _A bit_ young..."

Layla surreptitiously elbowed her husband in the stomach (a little too hard) before saying, "Oh, come on, Grace. Just because you met your granddaughter twenty years too early doesn't mean you're getting old!"

"No, it just proves to me how much time I've got left before I wither away and get dumped over at a nursing home..."

"Serena would never do that to you."

"Literally, maybe. But what about figuratively?" Grace lifted her head and looked at Layla. "Layle, no matter what happens, I'm gonna be in one home or another, lonely, with nothing to do but watch the flowers grow and wonder when my grandchildren are gonna come visit me again? You don't have to worry about these problems now because you're still so young-"

"So are you, sis," Layla interrupted. "You're just five years older-"

A part of Grace's soul seemed to die in her eyes. "Gee, thanks for reminding me..."

Now Layla wanted to elbow herself in the stomach.

Grace heaved out a sad, heavy sigh, just as Fletchling flew over and landed on top of her head.

"I miss the good ole days when I was a Rhyhorn Racer, riding with the wind every other day, going for broke, young and single..." she moaned.

"Huh..." Moose said, as he was still recovering from being elbowed in the stomach. "It honestly sounds like a boyfriend would be the answer to all of your problems-"

"Fletchling, use Peck," Grace suddenly, coldly ordered.

Before Moose could react in time, the Tiny Robin Pokémon used the attack in a...rather unfortunate place on his body.

"AGH!" The poor man curled into a fetal position. "Wh- _Whhhhhyyyyy_? I...I-I didn't do _anything_..."

"I don't need a boyfriend!" Grace snapped defiantly.

* * *

_Selene didn't know where she was._

_The last thing she remembered was falling asleep beside her young Auntie Bonnie, with Celebi safe and secure at the foot of the bed. And then...she regained consciousness in this...this valley, in the middle of the day. She didn't know how she got there, but there was no way she could have sleepwalked there._

_"Hello?!" she called._ _"_ Hello _? Natey?_ _Mommy?" She proceeded to walk up one particularly large, steep hill. "Daddy? Auntie Bonnie?" As she continued to walk up the hill, Selene started to note the beautiful scenery of Vivillon flying around in all directions. "_ Hello _?! Can anyone hear me?!"_

_"I can hear you, Selene!" a familiar voice called from the distance. Selene's eyes widened with surprise._

_"_ Mommy _...?" she asked. And it wasn't the Serena of twenty years in the past; it was_ her _Mommy! "Mommy, where are you?!"_

_"Up here, honey!"_

_Selene looked up towards the top of the hill, and saw two figures standing there, waiting for her. Though they were at a distance, the seven-year-old immediately recognized them as her parents. Her lips broke into an excited grin._

_"Mommy!" she cried. "Daddy!"_

_"Come over here, Selene!" Ash replied, stretching his arms out wide. "Come to Daddy!"_

_Selene immediately burst into a run. "I'm coming, Daddy, I'm coming!"_

_"We were_ so _worried about you!" Serena called._

_"I was so worried too, Mommy! But I think I'm ready to go home now!"_

_"It's okay, Selene, it's gonna be okay. We'll go home, I promise."_

_"YAY!" At this point, the black-haired girl was getting closer and closer to her parents. "I can't wait!"_

_"Of course, my dear. All you have to do, Selene, is give us Celebi."_

_Selene stopped dead in her tracks. "What...?" she asked._

_Then, to her horror, the images of her beloved parents turned into shapeless shadows. They flailed and writhed like fire, and Selene could've sworn she could see eyes in the unknown, eldritch mass. But she didn't want to find out anymore about this...this thing. The only thing in her mind now was retreat._

_And retreat she tried to do. But the moment she turned around, the beautiful valley transformed into a dark, barren desert, and the clear, blue sky started to turn into a sickly purple. Selene tried to run, but it was like running on one of those treadmills she saw her parents use: the ground was moving, but she wasn't going anywhere. She felt massive beads of sweat dripping down her face, and her heart hammering against her sternum, threatening to burst through it like a monster from a horror movie. She could still hear the monster grumbling and groaning behind her._

_After running for what seemed like an eternity, Selene looked behind her...and her eyes widened even more._

_The dark mass had finally taken on a shape...and it resembled a twisted, nightmarish version of Parker. He towered over her like a skyscraper, reaching out a massive hand towards her._

_"Be a good little girl," the abominable Parker boomed mightily, "and give me that Celebi."_

_"NO!" Selene squeaked defiantly._

_At that moment, she felt a weight in her arms; looking down, the girl realized it was Celebi...a badly bruised and broken Celebi. The Time Travel Pokémon whimpered in terror and clung on to her shirt like a needy baby._

_It seemed that looking down at Celebi was enough distraction Parker needed, for Selene felt an unknown force wrap itself around her body. She screamed as she felt her feet leave the ground, and seconds later, she found herself staring into a pair of gargantuan, red, bug-like eyes. The little girl struggled, but the grip on her was like a vice. Then, to her absolute horror, she saw Celebi being forcibly pulled out of her grip and towards the eyes._

_"BIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!" Celebi screamed._

_"CELEBIIIIIIIIIIIIII!" Selene shrieked._

_The bug-like eyes transformed into a vortex of a mouth, and Selene stared helplessly as the Time Travel Pokémon was sucked into it. She could still hear Celebi's fading scream._

_Then, without warning, she was tossed into the same mouth, and everything became dark-_

"AAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHH! MOMMY! DADDY!"

At first, Selene thought she was still inside the beast's mouth, for she was totally enveloped in darkness. Then, her vision was assaulted in just a split-second when light flooded the room.

"Selene?!" Ash exclaimed, shooting up from his bed.

"Pika?!" Pikachu cried.

Selene continued clawing at the air, her brain having yet to comprehend her current surroundings. "HELP ME, DADDY, HELP ME!"

"My Arceus, Selene!" Nate cried as he sat up on his sofa.

"Pichu pichu!" Pichu squeaked with concern. She quickly scrambled onto the bed, her cheeks sparkling with electricity. "Piiiii-CHUUUUU!"

She fired a small Thunder Shock, which hit her unofficial owner. Selene screamed again, but this time comically at being electrocuted like this. When Pichu stopped releasing electricity, the girl collapsed back on the bed, beside Bonnie. At that moment, Serena got out of her bed and ran towards Selene's bedside.

"Selene!" she cried. "Selene, is everything alright?!"

To her relief, the little girl had calmed down, the Thunder Shock being the thing everyone needed for her to realize she was no longer dreaming. But nevertheless, Selene's eyes were welling with tears. A couple of seconds later, she started crying, and then she shot up from her bed and hugged Serena as tightly as she could.

" _Mommy_!" she bawled.

"I-It's okay, S-Selene," Serena stuttered, startled by Selene's latest move and struggling to choose her words. "I'm-I'm here." She then stroked Selene's hair smoothly, making sure to use the same kind of caress she would use whenever brushing her Fennekin or Sylveon. "I'm here..."

"Wha...What _happened_...?" Bonnie asked with a slight hint of irritation; she looked the most drowsy out of the four.

"Nenene..." Dedenne groaned softly, while Squishy merely turned over on its side inside its special compartment in Bonnie's satchel.

At that moment, the group heard voices and other noises in the neighboring rooms. A few moments later, the noises filled the hallway outside, and then the door opened up. Grace and Shauna immediately stuck their heads inside.

"We heard screaming," Shauna said.

"Is everything okay?" asked Grace.

"Yeah, it sounds like Selene just had a bad dream," Clemont concluded, having just finished putting on his glasses.

"A bad dream, huh?" Ash replied. Then, he stood up, walked over to Selene and Bonnie's bed, and sat down beside the former; Serena was on the other side. "Don't worry, Selene. The dream is over."

"But it was so _scary_!" Selene squeaked between sobs. "It was...the _bad man_..."

"The bad man? You mean Parker?" Selene only nodded in response. "It's okay, Selene. He's in jail. And Celebi's safe! Look!" Ash went over to the straw basket carrying Celebi, picked it up, and showed it to the girl. "See? Celebi's all safe and sound."

"Bi," Celebi said. It reached out towards Selene in concern, prompting Ash to hand the Time Travel Pokémon over to her. Selene took it without a second thought and hugged it softly.

"I'm never gonna let you go, Celebi!" she declared as she still sobbed a little. "I'm never gonna let that bad man or any other bad people touch you ever again! I promise you that, Celebi!"

"Wow, spoken like a true friend, Selene!" Nate replied encouragingly.

"Biiiii..." Upon hearing those words, Celebi clung on tighter to Selene's pajamas, causing the girl to giggle.

Grace and Shauna both let out sighs of relief.

"Well, I guess we're no longer needed here," Shauna remarked as she withdrew her head.

"What a relief," Grace said. "And I thought I had to call Summer over here." She smiled a little. "Good night, you guys."

"Night, Mom," Serena replied.

"Good night, Grandma!" Selene chirped.

Grace paused a little. Then, with a soft smile and one last look at both Serena and Selene, she closed the door behind her.

As soon as it became clear that Selene had calmed down, Ash spoke up. "Alright, let's get back to sleep, guys. We've got a big day tomorrow and we don't wanna spend it being all sleepy!"

"Yeah!" Serena and Nate replied at the same time.

"Wait a minute!" Selene piped up, suddenly looking worried again.

"What is it, Selene?" asked Clemont.

"I wanna sleep with Mommy and Daddy."

...

"What?" Ash and Serena both asked simultaneously.

"I wanna sleep with Mommy and Daddy."

...

"What?" Serena asked again.

"Heh heh heh, you're silly, Mommy." Selene's eyes shone a little. "You and Daddy always let me and Pichu sleep between you whenever I have a bad dream."

"Pichu, pichu-pi," Pichu added, nodding in agreement.

"You sound fine," Bonnie remarked irritably.

"But I wanna feel safe! The bad lady's still out there." Selene then proceeded to give Ash and Serena the most adorable look of expectancy. "And I feel safe with Mommy and Daddy..."

Serena's heart immediately melted at the sight of her future daughter's face.

"Ohhhhh, of _course_ we're gonna let you sleep with us!" she exclaimed in a near-squeal, before she could stop herself.

"Wait, _what_?!" Ash cried, surprised by his friend's sudden acceptance.

"Pika?!" Pikachu added.

"What?" Serena replied, her mind blanking out a little.

"You said it was okay for Selene to sleep with you and Ash," Bonnie said. Her irritation was finally gone, and the sly grin was back on her face. " _On the same bed_..."

"I WHAT?!" Serena's voice cracked noticeably at the last word, prompting Selene to giggle for a brief moment.

"That's what you said, Mommy," the black-haired little girl replied.

"I-I...I, uh...I..." The honey-blonde Performer glared at Ash and mouthed out wordlessly, "Help me."

Unfortunately, Ash was just as dense about words being mouthed to him as he was about romance. So, the Pallet Town native simply said, "Well, if it'll help Selene feel safer, then I don't see why that'd be such a bad idea."

Then, he thought privately, _"Wait, I'm_ okay _with this...?"_

Serena's blue eyes bulged outward in surprise. "Wait a minute, you're _okay_ with this?!"

"I'm okay with this?!" Then, Ash looked towards Selene, who was smiling from cheek to cheek. And then, his own heart melted, and an unfamiliar instinct washed over him. "I guess I am."

"HOORAY!" Selene cheered happily.

As for Serena, she thought, a mile in a minute, _"I can't believe I'm gonna sleep with Ash! My goodness, I can't believe I'm gonna sleep with Ash! I'm gonna sleep with Ash! I'm gonna...I'm gonna-"_

* * *

**Several minutes later**

The sleeping rearrangements were finally put in place. Nate was still sleeping on the sofa, and Clemont was still sleeping on his bed, but Bonnie finally had her bed to herself again (much to the blonde girl's pleasure). As for Ash, Serena, and Selene, they were occupying the same bed; Ash took the right pillow, Serena took the left pillow, and Selene was lying directly between them both, a cheeky grin plastered on her face. Pikachu and Pichu were both sleeping at the trio's feet, and Celebi was sleeping in the same straw basket at Ash's bedside.

Ash and Serena simply didn't know what to make of this. Before tonight, they and their friends always assigned their beds according to gender. It wasn't like they believed in cooties or anything (actually, Bonnie did), but the idea of a boy and a girl sharing a bed just seemed...well, _awkward_ to them. And that much was proven when the two finally shared their first bed. Naturally, some of that awkwardness was mitigated by the fact that it was all for the sake of a little girl's mental well-being.

But then again, that same little girl was supposed to be _their daughter_...from twenty years into the future!

"Ahhhhhhhhhh..." Selene breathed out. "This is more like it!"

"Feeling better now, Selene?" Ash asked, averting his gaze from Serena.

The girl nodded. "Mm-hm!"

"That's good to know, Selene," Serena replied, her own gaze averted from Ash.

"Young or not, this all feels the same to me! It's just right, just like _Goldilocks and the Three Ursaring_!"

Ash and Serena both stifled giggles as they remembered their childhood fairy tale.

"Goldilocks, huh?" Ash asked.

"Do we read you that, Selene?" Serena questioned.

"Uh-huh. It's one of my favorite bedtime stories! But the bestest bedtime stories have to be your adventures!"

"Our adventures?" repeated Ash.

"Yep!" Then, Selene got an idea. "Ooh, ooh! Tell me one right now!"

Serena could sense Bonnie grinning again. "Tell you one?" she repeated. "Which one do you want to hear?"

"The one where you beat Team Flare!"

...

"We beat Team Flare?"

"I don't think we've done that one yet, Selene..." said Ash.

Selene blinked with surprise. "Really? But it's _so_ awesome! Especially the part where you and Uncle Clemont and Auntie Bonnie and Squishy and Mrs. Diantha and-"

"Okaaaaay, spoiler alert!" Serena said, giggling a little. "If you know those stories so well, then maybe _you_ should tell _us_ one."

"But you and Daddy tell them the best!"

"But how are we gonna tell them to you when chances are we haven't done them yet?"

"...Oh, yeah... That's right..."

"How about you guys tell her about the time we all met?" Clemont piped up. "We definitely did that one!"

"Oh, yeah!" squeaked Selene. "Tell me about the time you and Daddy met in the forest, Mommy!"

"...That sounds like a good idea as well..." Clemont said glumly.

"The time Ash and I met?" Serena's sapphire-blue eyes finally met Ash's for the first time in several minutes, and the two stared at each other awkwardly, yet longingly.

"Well," Ash began, finally looking down at Selene, "the two of us attended the same Pokémon Summer Camp when we were children. It was my hometown, Pallet Town."

"I think we were about your age," added Serena.

"Ohhhhh..." Selene replied, interested; Ash and Serena didn't know if she was pretending or if she really did become that interested in the story all over again.

"Anyway," Ash continued, "we didn't know of each other's existence at first. We were actually in different groups. But I did remember her always wearing that straw hat of hers. There was no other hat like it."

"As for me," Serena explained, "I didn't want to come to Pallet Town in the first place. My mom, your, ahem, _grandma_ was participating in one of her Rhyhorn Race events, we had relatives living near Pallet, and they all thought I should attend the camp so I could make some friends in the meantime."

"Wait a minute..." Ash looked at Serena, surprised. "You have relatives living in Pallet Town?"

" _Near_ Pallet Town. They live in Viridian City, actually. A third cousin of my mom's, his wife, and their daughter. Or maybe it was a fourth cousin. I can never tell."

"Viridian City, huh? What're their names? Maybe I know them."

"The cousin's wife I mentioned, she was the resident Nurse Joy. I'm pretty sure their daughter took over the Pokémon Center when her mom retired."

" _Really_?!" Ash immediately remembered the first Nurse Joy he met on his journey, the one who headed the Pokémon Center where he first met Team Rocket. " _She's_ your relative?"

"I told you, Ash, I have a really big family, spread out all over the world." Serena chuckled a little. "Chances are you met a relative of mine every other week while on your journey."

"Whoa..."

"Um, Mommy?" Selene asked, tugging at Serena's shirt. She then tugged at Ash's own shirt as well. "Daddy? Can you please continue the story?"

"Oh, right!" Serena replied, surprised. "Let's see, where was I...?"

"You were talking about why you were in the camp."

"Oh, that's right! Anyway, I didn't enjoy the camp, and I definitely did not make any new friends there. Not that I was good at making friends in the first place." Serena frowned unhappily for a moment before clearing her throat. " _Anyway_ , on the third day of the summer camp, all of the groups had an activity in the forest near Professor Oak's lab. I was the only one who didn't want to go in, since I was afraid of forests."

"Oh, yeah," Ash interrupted. "I remember you making quite a scene about it, and the chaperone pretty much dragged you into the forest."

Serena sweat-dropped at the extremely unpleasant memory. "Yeah... That happened..." She cleared her throat again. "And then-"

"You got lost!" Selene piped up.

Serena sweat-dropped again. "Yes...yes, I did..." She then wagged a finger at Selene. "I'm pretty sure my future self told you something about interrupting people."

"Oh. Right." Selene bowed her head a little. "I'm sorry, Mommy."

 _"Thank goodness,"_ Serena thought. _"I teach my children manners."_ Then, she said aloud, "It's alright, Selene. We all do it sometimes."

She then stroked Selene's hair, drawing out a satisfied coo from the little girl. At that moment, Ash took over the story.

"As for me, I saw a wild Poliwag, and I wanted to pet it. But it ran away and I followed it. Sadly, I lost track of it, but that was when I met Serena." He cleared his throat. "Your, um... _mommy_."

Serena blushed at this.

"Y-Ye- _Yeah_ ," she replied. "I hurt my leg because I got scared by Poliwag. Then, your d-da- _daddy_ showed up out of nowhere."

Now it was Ash's turn to blush, but he didn't say anything and instead continued to listen to Serena's side of the story.

"He immediately forgot all about Poliwag when he saw me. He noticed I was hurt, and so he wrapped my boo-boo with a handkerchief he had on him. But it still hurt, so he cast a magic spell on my leg."

"Did it feel better?" Selene asked with wonder.

"Not really. I still couldn't stand up. But he didn't give up on me. In fact, his exact words for me, in that moment, were 'Never give up till the end.'" Serena chuckled as she reminisced about those six special words. "I'll never forget that time he said it. After all-" She stared at Ash. "He said it with so much passion."

"W-We-Well," Ash stuttered nervously, entranced by the honey-blonde's emotional stare, "I knew you had it in you. You-You just needed a little push. In the right direction, that is!"

"And then what happened?" asked Selene.

"Well, your d-daddy helped me up on my feet, but he pulled my hand so hard that we accidentally bumped into each other and hugged."

"We did?" Ash asked, surprised now.

"Yeah! You don't remember that?"

"Well...not really..." But this revelation seemed to trigger something in Ash's mind. He didn't know what it was, but it had a degree of familiarity to him.

"Oh..."

"That's SO sweet!" Selene squealed, the girl squirming with excitement. "And then what happened?!"

"And then your daddy led me back to the camp, where a nurse helped make my leg feel better."

" _Woooooooooow_..." Selene's eyes were shimmering with awe. "What did you and Daddy do afterwards?"

"Sadly, we weren't able to do anything else together. I had to sit out for the fourth day of camp, and on the fifth and final day, it was just an assembly event where none of the groups interacted. Right after the assembly ended, I tried to return the handkerchief to your daddy, but some boy called Gary led him away."

Ash stifled a giggle at the mention of Gary. He vaguely remembered his old rival calling him over to show off something related to the activity on the third day of camp.

"Ah, phooey," Selene replied.

"Anyway, that's how your daddy and I met, Selene," Serena said, her composure now totally relaxed as she reminisced. "Ever since the camp ended, we didn't see or hear of each other until ten years later, when your daddy first arrived at Kalos to participate in the Pokémon League."

"You recognized him when you saw the TV report about Daddy saving Garchomp!"

"That's correct, Selene. And that was when I set out on my own Pokémon journey, so I could find him and properly return the handkerchief to him."

"And then it all went uphill from there."

"That's right. It went uphill from there."

Selene sighed contently. "What a great story! Thank you for telling it, Mommy and Daddy!"

"Well," Ash replied, "your m-mo-mommy did most of the work."

"Oh, stop it, Ash!" Serena responded, playfully and gently shoving her crush's shoulder. "You said your pieces when you needed to!"

"Yeah, you were a great storyteller too, Daddy," said Selene. Then, she let out an elongated, loud yawn. "Okay... I think it's time for me to sleep..."

"Yes, it is. Good night, Selene honey. Sweet dreams."

"Be brave if you see Par- I mean, the bad man in your dreams again," Ash instructed.

"I will. Good night, Mommy, Daddy." The black-haired girl then looked at Pikachu and Pichu. "Good night, Pikachu, Pichu."

"Pika pika," Pikachu replied.

"Pichu-pi!" squeaked Pichu.

Then, Selene called, "Good night, Celebi."

Ash heard Celebi softly saying "Biiiii..." in response.

With that, Selene yawned again and then closed her eyes. Ash and Serena both gazed at their future daughter for a few minutes, observing as she fell into the grace of the sandman. Out of instinct, Serena leaned forward a little and kissed the girl on the forehead. Then, her sapphire-blue eyes met with Ash's auburn ones. Both of them blushed, but this time, they refused to break their eyes away from each other.

"G-Go-Good night, Se-Serena..." Ash stuttered.

Serena giggled a little, then replied, "Good night, Ash."

Hoping to dispel the awkwardness, Ash called out, "Night, Clemont. Night, Bonnie."

"Good night, Ash, Serena," Clemont replied. "That was a..." He briefly yawned. "Great story."

Bonnie simply snored in response.

"Oh, and good night, Nate!" Ash quickly added.

"Night, Ash," replied the brown-haired Trainer.

Silence fell upon the room within several seconds, and Ash took this time to look back at Serena. Fortunately, she had fallen asleep as well. She could hear her soft breathing, smell the sweet strawberry shampoo she used for her hair, see her luscious lips curved into a small smile of contentment, watch her slim abdomen as it moved up and down by a few centimeters with every breath she took...

Ash shook his head. Why in the world was he noticing all of these things with Serena?! He never acted this way before they...found Selene...

Unable to process the two different feelings he had for his honey-blonde friend, the aspiring Pokémon Master decided to close his eyes, hoping that the kind embrace of deep sleep would be all that he needed to relieve his tension.

His dreams were filled with honey-blonde hair, blue as clear as sapphires, and beautiful voices for the rest of the night.

* * *

As the group slept, none of them overheard the two Hoppip, one of them normal-colored and the other Shiny, hovering directly and discreetly over the balcony outside. Peering through the window of the door, the two Cottonweed Pokémon took several pictures of the suite's interior before quietly leaving.

* * *

**The Jovial Propriétaire**

"I want you back in one hour, on the dot. Understood?"

"Y-Ye-Yes, Adam s-sir."

Adam Glazing briskly walked towards the fancy restaurant, his facial features partially obscured by his olive-green, wide-brimmed hat and fancy brown sunglasses. He recognized the absolute absence of necessity for these accessories, given it was still in the middle of the night, but he wanted to make sure his identity was kept private, in case things didn't go according to plan and he had to cut all of his losses.

As he approached the entrance, he heard his private limo speeding away, the screeching of the tires all he needed to know how relieved his chauffeur was to be rid of him for even an hour. Once he entered the old but otherwise well-kept building, he removed both articles of clothing and addressed the pretty waitress at the front desk.

"I'm with the Glazing party," he said.

"Oh yes, them..." The woman cleared his throat. "This way, please."

She led the way, and Adam followed behind like a pesky Houndour; his yellow eyes were glued to the waitress's exposed legs, attracted to the way they walked...

Soon, Adam's view was interrupted by a rambunctious clamor coming from one of the oblong tables. The rowdiness of the occupants was unmatched by all the other surrounding tables, whose owners merely glared hatefully. It didn't take a genius to know whose party was at that bursting table.

"Oh, hey!" exclaimed a small, rotund, orange-haired man whose clothes gave him the overall semblance of a Dedenne. "Look who's here, guys! The man of the hour!"

"The jewel of the crown!" cried a woman with cinnabar-colored hair.

"The big boy of the bunch!" another man cried, his blue hair fluttering over one side of his face like a veil.

Adam sighed with embarrassment. The people seated at his table were self-proclaimed acquaintances of his for years, though he felt freeloaders were more appropriate descriptions of them. He knew the Dedenne-like man, Nick Nigaud, the longest, for the two were roommates in college...before Nick dropped out two hours into his first semester and became a squatter in their dormitory room. He went on to found his own construction company, for reasons Adam could only pinpoint to a potential lost bet. Naturally, the company's only client was Adam himself, who more or less used it as a means to mask illegal business activities.

The other occupants were some of Nick's employees, specifically his favorites: Cecile Rouge (the cinnabar-haired woman), Floyd Minable (the blue-haired man), Floyd's twin brother Lloyd (who resembled Floyd to a tee, with the exception of his mirrored, scarlet hair), and Sid Malin (perhaps the most tolerable person in Nick's group in Adam's eyes, though that was still a stretch).

" _Please_ control your, ahem, _acquaintances_ , sir," the waitress said, her expression one of bitter annoyance. "Their rowdy behaviors have been upsetting our other guests ever since they arrived here."

"Will do," Adam replied while shaking his head. When the waitress scowled disapprovingly at him while leaving, he glared menacingly at Nick and the others and said, "Look, just because _I_ invited you to this fancy restaurant, gave you _all_ this top-class food, and agreed to pay _for everything_ , doesn't mean you should act like a bunch of spoiled, uncultured brats. ...Oh, who am I kidding?! You all _are_ spoiled, uncultured brats!"

"Why can't we act this way?" Lloyd asked, completely oblivious to the insult as he chewed on a drumstick like a ravenous beast. "This is a first-rate, all-you-can-eat buffet!"

"And we haven't eaten this kind of food in, like... _forever_ ," Floyd added.

"I think this is the first time we've all eaten this kind of food," remarked Cecile.

"Well, duh!" exclaimed Nick, as he popped a few well-cleaned grapes into his mouth.. "That's 'cause we've been totally broke our whole lives!"

Adam's face turned with red with shame and embarrassment; the well-dressed man was looking around, noticing the unsatisfied looks the other patrons were giving his party.

"You're not in a Kalos Fried Combusken restaurant, you dimwits," he snarled angrily. "You're in a restaurant that caters to the rich and powerful, and there's a certain etiquette that one must precisely follow at all times whenever they're in such an establishment."

"You're one to talk about following etiquette and whatnot," Sid replied casually, after the periwinkle-haired, eyepatch-wearing man took a sip of his strawberry lemonade juice. "You're not exactly a member of this elite either."

All of a sudden, Adam powerfully slapped his palm upon the table, stopping the others dead in their tracks. The five members of the working class all stared fearfully at their benefactor, who was wearing an absolutely terrifying expression of fury. His eyes were literally smoldering, and the others feared that his very vision would burn them alive. Nick's lower lip quivered, and he carefully slid one plate of food to Adam.

"C-C-Care f-for s-s-some r-ra-ramen...?" he stuttered.

Adam looked down at the bowl of ramen noodle soup, and Nick feared that the green-haired man would finally lose it and flip the bowl over, wasting perfectly good food. But fortunately, the aroma of the soup seemed to calm him down, and Adam sat down beside Sid, directly opposite from Nick.

"I can't," he replied with a low voice. "I'm watching my cholesterol."

"I see..." Nick promptly, and nonchalantly, took a sip of his orange juice. "So, what was the job that you mentioned to me, Adam? I believe you mentioned something about an extraction from some jail?"

Upon the mention of his brand-new plan, all of the anger within Adam disappeared, and the green-haired man started to think about the infinite possibilities that were now before him. Before today, he thought that he was going to be stuck in this meager existence for the rest of his life, that he would remain a useless secretary until he drew his last breath...that he would be forever shrouded in the shadows of his accursed brother and niece.

But not anymore. Now, he had a real chance to make it big, to become the person he aspired to be, to finally be respected as the wonder that he was!

Adam leaned his head forward and grinned at his companions, surprising them.

"Ohhhhh, you could say that," he said deviously. "Now listen, here's what we're going to do..."

* * *

**Mt. Kiloude**

To uneducated tourists, the snow-coated mountain towering over Kiloude City from a distance, the very source of the city's landmark river, was nothing more than just a mountain. But the townspeople knew better than to assume it was just some dainty, innocent mountain that was just there for the city's convenience.

No, they knew all about its long, infamous history. And they knew why all nature trails in the area were required to end many miles away from its base. Not that they'd ever go into detail about it. After all, no one wanted any foolish, idiotic youngsters to get any ideas!

 _Especially_ not this week, of all weeks.

In the skies above Mt. Kiloude, a cry echoed through the air, barely audible to the citizens living at the edges of Kiloude. Moments later, a silhouette of a winged being soared majestically through the clouds, leaving behind a trail of crystal-blue sparkles behind its tail.

It cried again as it disappeared within the windy, snow-capped peak of the mountain. The trail of blue sparkles it left behind glittered for a few more moments before fading into nothingness...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This definitely has to be the longest chapter written for the story so far. But how could it not be?! After all, a lot of exposition had to be dished out for this chapter!
> 
> So, just in case readers decided to skip through the blocky walls of text that detailed all the characters' futures (because I know a lot of detail was put into each and every one of them), here they all are in summary form:
> 
> -Trevor's now a professional photographer.
> 
> -Tierno's now the head and founder of his own dance academy.
> 
> -Shauna's the new Monsieur Pierre of Pokémon Showcases, and she's married to Calem.
> 
> -Calem is an assistant to Alain, who's now a Pokémon Professor.
> 
> -Bonnie now lives in Hoenn with her husband Max, who's also a Pokémon Professor.
> 
> -Clemont's now a member of the Elite Four, and a very famous inventor.
> 
> -Serena's now a successful actress.
> 
> -Ash is now a Frontier Brain who helped establish Battle Frontier facilities in Kalos, and he's also the head of a new law enforcement agency, not to mention a household name known all across the world for his heroics.
> 
> Here's also some tidbits of trivia, in case anyone's interested:
> 
> -Eevee's Café, the show Future Serena's mentioned to star in, was actually inspired by something I found on DeviantArt. It's a comic series called "Eeveelution Squad", and it's by PKM-150. I just took the basic premise (Eevee and all of the Eeveelutions living under the same roof in an alternate world) and put it in a completely different setting. I recommend checking PKM-150's works out; they're very good and funny and cute.
> 
> -The Double Battle Maison, which Ash and Serena would participate in together in a few years, was obviously something of my own design. Since the anime doesn't depict traditional Double Battles that often, I decided to create a new battle competition that revolved around the concept. This was also born out of a personal interest in seeing the anime devote an entire season to this kind of competition. I thought there'd be the potential for new stories and types of character interactions.
> 
> -Not only did I bring back and reboot Adam's cronies Nick, Floyd, and Lloyd, I also did the same for two characters from my now-deleted "Judgment's Fall" fic: Sid and Cecile. They were Adam's new accomplices in that story, and Sid and/or Cecile were supposed to be Adam's cousin(s). But they're no longer biologically related to Adam in this story, since I want the Glazing family drama to be restricted to him and Amelia.
> 
> -I designed Mt. Kiloude with Washington state's Mt. Rainier in mind. That's all I'll say about it.
> 
> Now that that's out of the way, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! TheCartoonFanatic01 is out. PEACE!


	12. Duel of Dual Ambitions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm very, very sorry this took a bit of a while to post. Obviously, school was a real pain in the butt.
> 
> By the way, did you guys hear about what the format of the Gen VIII anime would be? I'm not going to spoil anything for anyone who's not yet up to speed, but...I'll just say...I find it to be pretty interesting. I'm going to keep an open mind about this and keep an eye on it.

**Room 30025, the Blue Suns Deluxe Hotel  
** **The next day**

Ash woke up feeling more relaxed and at peace than ever before. At first, he didn't know why. Then, he concluded that it must be the sweet strawberry scent he was smelling. And then, as his mind began to comprehend his surroundings, and his eyesight started to adjust to the morning lights, he realized that he was cradling something.

Something soft and surprisingly pleasant to the touch.

It took a couple more moments for him to realize that it wasn't something, but _someone_. Then, the boy realized that it wasn't Selene he was holding.

" _Nnnnnggggghhhhh_..." Slipping out of her long and peaceful slumber, Serena yawned and smiled feebly. "Morning..."

Ash didn't say anything.

"A- _Ash_...?"

Serena finally opened her eyes, and then, it took her a couple of moments to realize the situation she was now in.

* * *

**" _AAAAA_** _**AAAAA** **AAAAA** **AAAAAGGGGG** **GGGGG** **GGGGG** **GGGGGHHHHH** **HHHHH** **HHHHHHHHHH!** _ **OOF!** **"**

Selene had been brushing her teeth diligently in the bathroom for a few minutes with Celebi and Pichu when she heard all the commotion outside. Realizing what had happened, the young girl grinned cheekily at Pichu, who grinned back.

"Hee-hee-hee..." she giggled mischievously.

* * *

**The Blue Suns penthouse restaurant  
** **Over an hour later**

"Morning, guys!" Summer greeted jubilantly as she approached the table belonging to Ash, Serena (who was now back in her original clothes), Selene, and their group. She then noticed the bandage on Ash's misshapen nose, and the ice bag splayed all over Serena's right cheek. " _Uhhhhh_...what happened to you guys...?"

"You don't wanna know..." both Ash and Serena groaned. Immediately afterwards, they blushed upon realizing they spoke at the same time.

"They slept together," Bonnie replied deviously.

"Oh," Summer responded nonchalantly. Then, her mind finally clicked in place. "Excuse me?"

Bonnie said in a teasing singsong voice, "They slept together _on the same_ -"

"Bonnie," Serena interrupted with a startlingly sweet voice, "so help me, I'll have my Pokémon do _unspeakable_ things to Dedenne and Squishy tonight..."

The blonde girl didn't speak anymore.

" _Oooookaaaaayyyyy_..." replied Summer. " _Anywaaaaay_...I just got the call from Officer Jenny. Parker's been locked up in the local jail. He's gonna be arraigned later this evening."

"Arraigned?" Ash repeated. "What's that?"

"A criminal's first appearance in a court of law. Now I know there's some tricky jurisdiction laws going on here, especially concerning Parker's...ahem, _temporal_ origins, but my superiors want to see to it that he's punished for the crimes that he committed in this time period last night."

"What about Parker's Pokémon?" Nate asked.

"Unfortunately, we only have his Sceptile. You guys said he also had a Chesnaught and a Trevenant?" Ash and the others nodded in response. "Well, those two are in the wind. My colleagues are reviewing security footage right now. But so far, we suspect they're holed up somewhere in Kiloude Forest."

"No doubt plotting a way to break their Trainer out." Nate subconsciously squeezed on his glass cup of juice. "Parker and his gang, they always find a way to have one of their own slip through the cracks and break the others out. That _always_ happens. Justice is never served..."

"Well, I've personally ordered security to be tripled on this guy. He's not going anywhere-"

"He's getting out, all right," Nate interrupted bitterly, his brown eyes narrowed with silent anger. He instinctively reached towards his belt, where his Poké Balls were. "But I'm gonna be ready for him..."

An awkward silence fell upon the table, as everyone stared at Nate's serious expression. Then, hoping to break the ice, Ash quickly spoke up.

"Oh, hey Nate! Remember the battle we're gonna have today?"

Fortunately for the raven-haired Trainer, Nate's eyes lit back up with excitement and determination.

"You bet!" he exclaimed. "There's no way I'd forget something like _that_ , Ash!"

"Awesome! I'm totally psyched!"

Summer looked from Ash to Nate and back, and then said, "Alright, well...that's all I have to report to you guys, I guess. Glad to see you guys getting situated so easily. I'll get back to you if anything else happens." She started walking away, waving goodbye all the while. "Keep me posted on Celebi's condition!"

"Will do!" Selene called, saluting adorably at the departing Ranger.

The little girl then looked at Celebi, who was politely eating some Oran Berries out of a bowl. The Time Travel Pokémon was currently wearing a small plaid cloth to obscure her appearance. To Selene, the cloth made Celebi look like Little Red Riding Hood. And she couldn't help but giggle with adoration at that.

* * *

**The Beauté Hotel**

Yancy sat at one of the tables of the hotel's complimentary café, eating some cereal and milk from a simple glass bowl. Seated beside her was Blanche, and on the other side of the table were Kazalie and Shulin. All four Performers were absentmindedly eating their well-needed breakfast while eagerly watching a TV set at the corner of the café.

 _ **"Good morning, citizens of Kalos!"**_ exclaimed a female reporter. She was standing in a room, in front of a screen depicting live footage of the Laurier Maison. _ **"I bring you back to Kiloude City, where a stunning event is about to get underway in about a couple of hours!"**_

"And it's about to get even more stunning with me around," Shulin proclaimed haughtily.

"Shhh!" Kazalie said, her eyes still glued to the screen.

 _ **"That's right, folks!"**_ the reporter continued. _**"I'm talking about the one and only Exhibition Showcase to mark the end of a beautiful and dazzling Showcase season!"**_

"Beautiful?" Shulin repeated flatly. "Dazzling? Heh. I'd say it was the same old, same old."

"Shhh!" Kazalie said, her eyes still glued to the screen.

 _ **"Boy, it sure was a great season,"**_ remarked a male reporter off-screen.

_**"Indeed it was, and I can't wait to see what these remarkable Pokémon Performers have in store for us and all the people here in Kiloude City today!"** _

" _Ohhhhh_ , just you wait, lady," Shulin said confidently.

"Shhh!" Kazalie said, her eyes still glued to the screen.

_**"And now, to start off this fine and fabulous day, I will be having an interview with our one and only Kalos Queen, Ariiiiia!"** _

**"ARRRRRIIIIIAAAAA!"** Shulin suddenly squealed with excitement, just as the aforementioned Kalos Queen appeared on the screen, smile and all. Kazalie didn't even bother shushing her this time, though several other customers did look at the Performers' direction, annoyed at the sudden outburst.

Yancy, Blanche, Kazalie, and Shulin all watched as Aria stepped beside the reporter, her arrival being accompanied with fanciful music that would make anyone sway. By the Kalos Queen's sides were her Delphox and Aromatisse, while her Vivillon was perched on the top of her crowned head. She was wearing a glittering, flowing red dress that accentuated her hair and eyes, and as usual, she was wearing a beautiful smile on her face. Blanche, Kazalie, and Shulin all struggled immensely to hold in their squeals of absolute delight at the sight of their idol.

 _ **"So, Aria,"**_ the reporter said, _**"as I'm sure you already know, today's a very special day for you, huh?"**_

 _ **"It sure is,"**_ Aria replied, nodding eagerly. _**"But it's not just my special day."**_ She turned towards the camera, her smile still in place. _**"It's a special day for all the Performers who have come here to participate in this special event! After all, at the end of the day, there'll be no winners and no losers in this Showcase. Just beauty and happiness for everyone in Kiloude City and beyond!"**_

 **"EEEEE** **EEEEEK!"** Blanche, Kazalie, and Shulin squealed at once, startling Yancy and the others. **"AAAAARRRRRIIIIIAAAAA!"**

"WE LOVE YOU, ARIAAAAA!" Kazalie hollered.

"Shhh!" someone snapped.

 _ **"Speaking of special days, Aria,"**_ continued the reporter, as she briefly checked a sheet of paper that was in her hand, _**"in a few more days, it'll be the tenth anniversary of Elle's death. Do...Do you have any comments on that?"**_

Aria's smile softened in reminiscence, but she kept up her positive demeanor. _**"Only that she would've loved to see this in person. She's always worked so hard and so selflessly to make others smile, and an event like this, with her and all that she's done in mind, would've been beyond her wildest dreams. After all, it's that way for me. But of course, it cannot be done without hard work and dedication, though I'm sure all of that will be shown to us in spades**_ _ **from all of the Performers that are here today**_ _ **!"**_

" _Ahhhhh_ _hhhhh_!" Blanche, Kazalie, and Shulin all sighed out, swooning at the Kalos Queen's kind, warm, and honest words.

"Aria's as awesome as ever..." Blanche breathed out dramatically.

"She truly _is_ our ideal," Shulin commented, smiling dreamily.

However, Yancy continued to stare at the TV with extreme sadness and concern. Though she already knew Aria's story from her parents, seeing the Kalos Queen at this point of time, in person, made her feel even more sympathetic to her situation. She couldn't even begin to imagine what was going through her mind right now.

 _"Poor Auntie Aria..."_ the pink-haired girl thought.

* * *

**The local TV station**

"And you heard it from the mouth of the Kalos Queen herself! This Exhibition Showcase is gonna be, without a doubt, one to be remembered! So stay tuned, folks, for the upcoming performances, because we'll be sure to bring it all to you live at Kalos Now! I'm Mandy Buzzington, and now, here is a word from our sponsors!"

...

"Alright, that's a wrap!"

As soon as the camera crew began to disperse, Aria sighed with relief and quickly tried to make her leave with her Pokémon. Unfortunately, she heard the reporter, Mandy, call out to her.

"Aria! Wait, hold on a minute, Aria!"

Aria quickly sighed again, and then put on her smile before turning around to face the older woman, as did all three of her Pokémon.

Despite the happy-go-lucky demeanor she put on for the viewers at home, Mandy Buzzington always had an unsettling, intimidating aura around her, no matter how unintentional it was. She was tall and thin, with especially wiry legs; and she also had dark-pink hair tied into a ponytail with a dark-brown, feathery ribbon. She wore a brown suit and skirt with a bone-gray undershirt and matching stockings. Her bright red eyes sported noticeable eyeliner.

"Yes, Ms. Buzzington?" she replied politely.

"Oh please, enough with the Ms. Buzzington thing!" Mandy exclaimed. "Ms. Buzzington's my mother...after she divorced, anyway... Made me pursue this job-" She quickly caught herself and cleared her throat. "Anyway, call me Mandy."

"Alright...Mandy."

Mandy grinned gleefully. "Wow. Words can't even _begin_ to describe how...how... _enthralled_ I am to be in your presence!"

Aria continued to smile, though her mind started to wander off. "Really now?"

"Of course! See, I've been a reporter for years, but I transferred here from Hoenn a couple years back and this is my first time covering a Pokémon Showcase season! It's definitely a whole lot different from the Contests I see back at home. And you...by golly, you're MILES beyond any of the Pokémon Coordinators I've ever covered!"

"Really?"

The reporter nodded eagerly. "Mm-hm! Look, I know you're a very busy girl and all, but I was wondering if you'd like to sit down for another one-on-one interview with me."

Aria raised an eyebrow, her full attention finally caught. " _Another_ one-on-one? What about? I think I told you everything you need to know for this event-"

"It's not for the Exhibition Showcase, sweetie," Mandy interrupted. "You see, my bosses have wanted to know all the juicy details about your past for some time."

Aria gulped, though she did her best to hide it.

"My...My past...?" she repeated. Delphox and Aromatisse instinctively drew closer to their Trainer.

"Yes, yes, of course! Especially the material concerning Elle! It is my understanding that you've never really talked about your childhood and your old life here, not once during your career as a Performer. Now, forgive me for sounding like a Mandibuzz, but it's been a whole ten years, and all the news stations and the biographers and the paparazzi are starving for details!"

"A-Are they now?" Aria stuttered. She was starting to hear the avalanche again, from the back of her mind.

"Yep! And we at Kalos Now want to be the first to know everything! Trust me, it's better if you share it all with us rather than with some paparazzi agency that's on the lookout for the smallest scandal in every corner-"

"Hey, back off, you Mandibuzz!"

To Aria and Mandy's surprise, Foster pushed past Delphox and stepped beside the former. He had a defensive expression that surprised even Aria.

"She doesn't want to talk about it," he snarled.

"Who are you?" Mandy replied. She then flared her nostrils. "And who're you calling a Mandibuzz?!"

"I'm Aria's farmhand, and it's time to have her Pokémon, ahem, groomed." Foster took Aria's hand, ignoring Mandy's surprised reaction to that move. "Come on, Aria, let's go."

Before the Kalos Queen could protest, he led her away from Mandy, essentially half-dragging her away with her Pokémon right at her heels. As soon as they left the room and found a spot where they could be alone, Aria tore her hand away from Foster's.

"What was that all about, Foster?!" she exclaimed.

"What do you mean, what was that all about?!" Foster replied in protest. "That Mandibuzz-"

"I'M NOT A MANDIBUZZ!" Mandy's voice shouted from the middle of nowhere, but both teens ignored it.

"She was asking you about-"

"I _know_ what she was gonna ask me about!" Aria interrupted. Then, she took a deep breath and straightened out her dress a little. "But you didn't need to interrupt the conversation and drag me away like that. All I had to do was decline her offer. I didn't need your help at all, no offense."

"Are you sure that was all you had to do?" asked Foster. "You were becoming quite unsettled as soon as she started to say the words..."

"I'm _fine_ , Foster. I told you last night, I'm _fine_."

Foster pursed his lips. "Are you _sure_? Because it doesn't look like it from my point of view."

Aria frowned angrily. "Hey, if you see me unsettled, it's because of the upcoming Exhibition Showcase, more than anything else!"

"You're concerned about _that_? B-But...I-I thought it was just an-"

"Just because it's an informal Showcase, doesn't mean the Performers don't have to put all their effort into it, Foster. All Pokémon Showcases are events that bring joy and brightness to other people's lives. And if the Performers can't give it their all to accomplish that one simple goal, then they've...they've failed the audience. ...And that's something I cannot allow myself to do."

Before Foster could respond, a woman suddenly entered the room and spotted Aria.

"Oh, Aria!" the woman called, catching the attention of both teens. "Palermo just called. She wishes to speak with you ASAP."

"Roger that!" Aria replied. Her optimistic smile was back. She then looked back at Foster and said seriously, "I gotta go, Foster. Please, please, _please_ don't worry about me. I told you, I'm fine! I swear I am!" She started to sprint off with her Pokémon, before Foster could have a chance to respond. "I'll see you later!"

Foster could only watch helplessly as the one girl he ever loved pranced away from him. He knew, from the bottom of his heart, that Aria was in complete denial about her needing actual help. He couldn't blame her; after all, a Showcase was coming up and it was her duty to play the part of Kalos Queen. The show would be woefully incomplete without her and her charming optimism.

**_"All Pokémon Showcases are events that bring joy and brightness to other people's lives. And if the Performers can't give it their all to accomplish that one simple goal, then they've...they've failed the audience."_ **

"And what about you, Aria?" Foster whispered to thin air. "Where does your joy and brightness lie...?"

Unbeknownst to him, Aria was asking herself the same thing.

* * *

**Near the Laurier Maison  
** **Several minutes later**

Ash and Nate stood on both sides of the battlefield, staring each other down with determined smiles on their youthful faces. Serena, Selene, Bonnie, Shauna, Tierno, Trevor, Calem, Grace, Layla, and Moose were sitting in a nearby bleacher, watching with shared eager anticipation. As for Clemont, he was standing at the side of the battlefield, acting as the referee.

"Alright!" Clemont announced. "This will be a three-on-three Pokémon battle, with the Trainers using one Pokémon per round, with no recalls! The one who scores two wins out of three rounds first wins!"

"We'll have a battle to be proud of, Ash!" Nate called. "Let's do our very best!"

"You got it!" Ash replied confidently before pointing at Nate's direction. "Pikachu, I choose you!"

"Pika!" Pikachu cried as he hopped off Ash's shoulder and entered a battling stance.

"Pikachu, huh? Alright, I'll start off with someone fun!" Nate pulled out a Poké Ball and threw it into the air. "GO!"

The Poké Ball opened up and unleashed a beam of light that hit the ground. Once the light subsided, it revealed a Shiny Barbaracle. The Collective Pokémon roared and slammed both of its left fists into the palms of its right hands.

"Whoa, a Barbaracle!" Ash exclaimed, quickly remembering Saizo's.

"Nate's starting off with Barbaracle?" Shauna asked curiously from the bleachers. "Isn't it a Water-type, though?"

"True, but it's also a Rock-type," Trevor replied, his focus completely on Nate's Collective Pokémon. "The battle could go either way for Nate, depending on his tactics. It'll be pretty interesting to see how Nate will use this dual-typing to his advantage..."

"Yeah, go Daddy!" Selene cheered loudly, her fists shooting up in the air. "You and Pikachu can beat them!"

"Pichu pichu!" squeaked Pichu, her cheeks sparkling with electricity from all of the excitement.

"Gee, thanks for the support, Selene..." deadpanned Nate.

"Alright!" Clemont announced. "Battle...BEGIN!"

_**ASH VS. NATE** _

"Pikachu, use Electro Ball!" Ash commanded.

"PIKA!" Pikachu dashed towards Barbaracle, and as he did, his body became enveloped in sparking yellow electricity. All of that electricity then began to condense at the Mouse Pokémon's tail, quickly forming into an orange-yellow sphere of pure sparking electricity.

"Get ready for it, Barbaracle!" Nate shouted, with the Collective Pokémon nodding in response.

Seconds later, Pikachu jumped into the air and did a stylistic front flip, throwing the electric sphere at Barbaracle in the process.

"Now, Barbaracle!" Nate ordered. "Use Ancient Power!"

Barbaracle quickly brought all four of its arms together, and a silver sphere of pure energy began to form in the small space between its palms. The sphere expanded into a considerable width in just a few seconds, though Barbaracle continued to hold its palms steady. When Pikachu's Electro Ball became dangerously close to hitting it, the Collective Pokémon fired its own sphere.

Both the Electro Ball and the Ancient Power collided a split-second later and exploded, covering the area between Pikachu and Barbaracle in smoke.

"Whoa!" Ash exclaimed. "Be careful, Pikachu!"

"Pika!" Pikachu squeaked, the Mouse Pokémon making sure he avoided the billowing smoke.

"Now use Stone Edge!" Nate ordered.

"Stay sharp, Pikachu, and dodge!" commanded Ash.

Multiple stones shot through the wall of smoke like bullets, and Pikachu dashed around the battlefield in order to avoid being hit.

"Alright, we've got Pikachu running! Use Skull Bash next!"

Barbaracle propelled itself through the smoke and rammed Pikachu as hard as it could with its rough, spiky forehead.

"PIKA!" Pikachu squealed in pain. The Mouse Pokémon was knocked backward by several feet thanks to the sheer force of the latest move, but fortunately, he managed to land on his feet.

"Hang in there, Pikachu!" Ash cried, before pointing at Barbaracle. "Use Thunderbolt!"

Pikachu unleashed a bolt of electricity at the Collective Pokémon.

"Dodge, quick!" Nate called.

Barbaracle tried to do so, but it was too heavy, and it had become a little exhausted from using both Stone Edge and Skull Bash in a short amount of time. As a result, the Thunderbolt hit its target head-on, and the Collective Pokémon let out a scream as the electricity coursed throughout its body.

"YEAH!" Ash cried with excitement.

"It's not over yet, Ash!" Nate replied, a smile back on his face. "Barbaracle, remember what we've practiced! Reconcile your types!"

"Reconcile your types?" repeated Serena.

To the group's surprise, Barbaracle clenched all four of its fists as it withstood the electricity that continued to crackle on its body. Then, everyone noticed that the electricity was not subsiding.

"Alright, you're getting the hang of it, Barbaracle!" Nate commanded. "Now use Water Gun!"

Barbaracle's upper hands shot out streams of water, which (to Ash and Pikachu's collective surprise) were coated with some of Pikachu's own electricity.

"Pikachu, dodge it!" shouted Ash.

Pikachu did a front flip to dodge the first Water Gun attack, but he didn't have time to prepare for the second one. As a result, the Mouse Pokémon was sent tumbling across the battlefield, his body sporting more than a few bruises.

"Whoa!" Layla exclaimed with interest. "What in the world just happened?"

"It's Barbaracle's dual-typing," Clemont replied, the inventor having just rejoined the others on the bleachers.

"Dual-typing?" repeated Bonnie.

"Yeah. Barbaracle, like its pre-evolved form Binacle, is part-Rock type and part-Water type. Even though it is vulnerable to Electric-type attacks like any other Water-type Pokémon, Barbaracle's Rock typing gives it a slightly higher defense against those attacks."

"Nate definitely trained Barbaracle to withstand Electric-type attacks long enough to fit in an extra attack or two. The fact that it's a Rock-type certainly helped a little. And then Nate went a step further and used Barbaracle's Water-typing to his advantage."

"How so?" Tierno asked.

"Water conducts electricity," Clemont replied. "And Barbaracle knows Water Gun. The electricity was conducted by the Water Gun, and so its strength increased a little. Not only that, but Barbaracle also has the side-benefit of removing some of the electricity from its body. See?"

The inventor pointed at Barbaracle, who only had a few volts of electricity left on its body before swatting them into nonexistence. The Collective Pokémon then snorted aggressively at Pikachu as the Mouse Pokémon stood back up.

"Wow," Bonnie said. "Barbaracle's good as new..."

"Nate sure knows what to do to turn the tide of a battle around in his favor," Grace remarked.

"But let's not forget, Barbaracle's still part-Water type," replied Clemont. "Ash just needs to be on his toes, and I'm sure he'll find a way around Nate's novel strategies."

"Yeah, you show him, Daddy!" Selene called excitedly.

"Pichu pichu!" squeaked Pichu with encouragement.

"That's a pretty cool strategy, Nate!" Ash called excitedly towards the brown-haired Trainer. "But that's not going to beat me and Pikachu _that_ easily!"

"Pi- _KA_!" Pikachu cried, the Mouse Pokémon hopping back up on his feet.

"After all, I'm just getting _started_!"

Nate smiled with eager anticipation. "Music to my ears!" he replied.

"Pikachu, use Iron Tail!"

Pikachu's lightning bolt-shaped tail turned silver and metallic, and he dashed forward at high speeds. In response to this new move, Nate narrowed his eyes with concentration.

"Barbaracle," he said, "use Skull Bash again!"

The Collective Pokémon propelled itself forward towards the incoming Pikachu.

"Jump, Pikachu!" Ash shouted. "Attack it from above!"

The Mouse Pokémon did so. But this didn't daunt Nate one bit.

"Don't lose focus, Barbaracle!" he cried. "Jump towards Pikachu!"

Barbaracle did so, and now, the Collective Pokémon was headed towards Pikachu while he was falling back down towards it. Ash immediately knew that it was time to act.

"DO IT, PIKACHU!" he called. "Slam your tail down on Barbaracle's head! Don't let it hit you!"

"PIKA!" Pikachu squeaked loudly as he twirled through the air, his Iron Tail sticking out menacingly. "Piiiii... **KA!** "

The Mouse Pokémon's tail collided with Barbaracle's forehead with enough force to trigger a shock-wave. As it expanded above everyone's heads, their hairs were blown suddenly and momentarily, as if their faces were blasted with a powerful fan for just a couple of seconds.

As for Pikachu and Barbaracle, the two were both knocked away from each other by the collision. Pikachu twirled through the air again and landed perfectly on his feet. But Barbaracle let out a cry of agony and landed painfully on the ground.

"Barbaracle!" exclaimed Nate. "Are you okay?!"

Barbaracle growled and gave its Trainer a nod of affirmation. Then, it slammed all four of its fists together and roared confidently, the sound of it being heard throughout the battlefield. Nate smiled happily in response.

"Alright! Use Ancient Power again!"

Barbaracle created another silver sphere of energy and launched it towards Pikachu.

"Dodge it, Pikachu!" Ash ordered.

"Pika!" Pikachu jumped into the air, avoiding the Ancient Power in the nick of time.

"Use Water Gun!" Nate commanded.

Barbaracle shot out a stream of water from one of its hands.

"Quick, Pikachu! Use Thunderbolt!"

"Pika- **CHUUUUU!** "

The Thunderbolt hit the Water Gun and easily coursed through the water that was being channeled out of Barbaracle's hand. However, the Collective Pokémon allowed the electricity to hit his hand. When it did, Barbaracle collapsed to the ground as the electricity started to course through its arm.

"Yeah!" Ash cried. "Nice hit, Pikachu!"

"Pika!" Pikachu squeaked as he landed on the ground.

"It's not over yet!" Nate replied, still smiling. "Now, use Thunder Punch, Barbaracle!"

" _Thunder Punch_?!" everyone else exclaimed with surprise.

Barbaracle charged as fast as it could towards Pikachu, its arm still channeling the electricity from the Mouse Pokémon's Thunderbolt.

"Dodge it, Pikachu!" shouted Ash.

"Pika!" Pikachu jumped into the air again, avoiding Barbaracle's makeshift attack.

"Whoa!" Tierno exclaimed from the bleachers. "So Nate's using that strategy of his again!"

"Except this time," added Trevor, "he used Pikachu's Thunderbolt to create a makeshift, one-time move of Barbaracle's own. This is a very unconventional battling strategy, not like any other I've ever heard. How does he do it...?"

"Natey's very weird that way," Selene replied, her eyes still fixated on the battle. "But he makes up for it with his sheer awesomeness!"

"Pichu..." Pichu squeaked, impressed at what she was seeing.

Meanwhile, Ash was thinking, _"So Nate's trained Barbaracle to withstand Electric attacks by channeling them through its body, so that way it can deal even more damaging moves. I gotta avoid using Electric attacks from now on..."_ Smiling, he ordered aloud, "Pikachu, use Iron Tail, quickly!"

Pikachu leaped into the air, his tail silver and metallic again.

"Use Stone Edge!" Nate commanded in response. "Keep Pikachu on his toes!"

Barbaracle launched a barrage of large stones at the Mouse Pokémon. Ash thought quickly on his toes.

"Hop over each stone until you reach Barbaracle!" he ordered.

"Hop over each stone?!" everyone else repeated on the bleachers.

But Pikachu didn't argue against that. Instead, the Mouse Pokémon hopped on one large-enough stone and then hopped over to the next, repeating the process until he was getting dangerously close to the Collective Pokémon.

"Defend yourself with Ancient Power, Barbaracle!" Nate called.

Barbaracle launched yet another silver sphere at Pikachu's direction. Ash narrowed his auburn eyes.

"Dodge it, then use Iron Tail, Pikachu!"

"PIKA!" Pikachu propelled himself from yet another stone and twirled through the air, dodging the Ancient Power with ease. Then, he fell towards Barbaracle, his beady eyes gleaming with energy as his tail started to turn silver and metallic again. " _Pikaaaaa_... **CHU!** "

"Watch out, Barbaracle!" shouted Nate, his brown eyes wide with shock.

The Collective Pokémon quickly raised one of its arms to defend itself from the Iron Tail. The Steel-type attack hit its target, knocking both Pokémon backward. Whilst Pikachu landed on his paws, Barbaracle was shoved to the ground, and it struggled to get back up. As it tried, the arm that it used to protect itself appeared to be injured.

"Now, Pikachu!" Ash exclaimed, pointing determinedly at Pikachu's opponent. "Finish Barbaracle off with Thunderbolt before it gets back up!"

"Pika- **CHUUUUU!** " Pikachu screeched at the top of his lungs. Split-seconds later, a powerful bolt of electricity flew out from his body and struck Barbaracle, drawing out a loud cry from the Collective Pokémon.

"Barbaracle!" Nate shouted in disbelief.

Once the electricity subsided, everyone saw Barbaracle frozen in its position, electricity crackling off its body. It seemed to be trying its best to keep itself steady and composed, but after a few seconds, it gave up the fight and collapsed to the ground, kicking up a small cloud of smoke as it landed. Once the smoke dissipated, Barbaracle had squiggles in its eyes.

"Barbaracle is unable to battle!" Clemont announced. "Ash and Pikachu are the winners!"

"YAY, DADDY!" Selene screamed, the little girl shooting up on her feet from the sidelines.

"PICHU PICHU-PI!" Pichu squeaked at the top of her lungs.

"Yeah!" Ash exclaimed. Then, he looked at Pikachu and called out, "Good job, buddy!"

"Pika!" Pikachu replied in a celebratory tone.

Meanwhile, Nate approached Barbaracle's fallen body, knelt down, and patted it on the head with a soft, satisfied smile.

"Great job, Barbaracle," he said. "You did all you could." He then pulled out a Poké Ball and aimed it at the Collective Pokémon. "Now go get some rest. You deserve it."

After returning Barbaracle to its Poké Ball, Nate stood up and looked at Ash and Pikachu. His smile had turned into one of confidence.

"That was a good battle, Ash," he called. "You're a great battler in the future as you are now, I'll tell you that!"

"You're a good battler yourself, Nate," replied the Pallet Town native. "You sure have some interesting strategies!"

"Thanks!" Nate sheepishly scratched his cheek a little. "Though I do admit they still need to be worked on a little."

"They're still very good! Once you improve them and work out the kinks, I hope you'll use those against me next time!"

"I think I will." Then, Nate reached into his pocket and pulled out another Poké Ball. "But for now, I'll be sure to win this round! GO!"

He threw the Poké Ball, unleashing a Jolteon, which barked determinedly at Ash.

"Whoa, it's a Jolteon!" Shauna cried from the bleachers.

"Jolteon, huh...?" Serena remarked. Out of curiosity, the honey-blonde pulled out her Pokédex and aimed it at the small Lightning Pokémon.

 _ **"Jolteon, the Lightning Pokémon, and one of the evolved forms of Eevee,"**_ the device explained. _**"Every sharp hair on its body stands upright when it is charged with electricity, and it is capable of sending out electrical charges of about 10,000 volts."**_

"So that's another one of Eevee's evolved forms..." Serena said to herself, her mind wandering to her Sylveon a little.

"So you're using Jolteon, huh?" Ash asked on the battlefield, intrigued. "Alright, then. I'll use this Pokémon!" As Pikachu scurried off the battlefield and joined his side, the raven-haired Trainer pulled out a Poké Ball of his own and threw it. "Noivern, I choose you!"

The Sound Wave Pokémon emerged from its Poké Ball and roared triumphantly at Nate and Jolteon. The former's smile widened at the sight of Noivern.

"Wow, so you're using Noivern, huh?" he asked. "This should be a very mobile battle!" He looked at his Jolteon. "You know what to do, Jolteon!"

The Lightning Pokémon smiled and barked confidently in response. Nate nodded subtly and then pointed at Noivern.

"Use Discharge!" he commanded. Jolteon roared as it promptly released multiple bolts of yellow electricity.

"Dodge it, Noivern!" Ash ordered. In response, the Sound Wave Pokémon lifted off into the air.

"Keep aiming for Noivern, Jolteon! Direct your Discharge everywhere it goes!"

As it continued to release electricity, Jolteon kept moving parts of its body and changing positions, making sure the bolts of electricity followed Noivern as it soared through the air. Noivern twirled, circled, and spun across the sky at high speeds, dodging several bolts with every passing second. Eventually, Jolteon couldn't release anymore electricity for its Discharge, and the attack subsided, whereupon Ash pointed at Noivern's opponent.

"Now, Noivern!" he cried. "Use Acrobatics!"

Noivern's body glowed light-blue, and it quickly shot through the air, towards Jolteon. But Nate smiled; he was ready for that.

"Use Baby-Doll Eyes, Jolteon!"

"What?" Serena asked from the bleachers. "Baby-Doll Eyes?!"

Everyone watched as Jolteon suddenly sat down and looked up at the Sound Wave Pokémon with a legitimate expression bordering pleading and fear. Its beady eyes were glimmering with some sort of youthful hope, and its mouth was open just a little. Noivern immediately took notice of this and fell for it; it shifted to the left just by an inch, and wound up hitting the ground pathetically and headfirst, without even hitting the Lightning Pokémon. Everyone but Nate sweat-dropped at this.

"That Baby-Doll Eyes sure was effective..." deadpanned Bonnie.

"Nenene..." Dedenne replied, while Squishy just let out a dull, one-note chirp.

"N-Noivern!" Ash called, almost with embarrassment. "Are-Are you okay?!"

Noivern grumbled pathetically in response, blushing brightly at its immense failure at securing a hit. Nevertheless, the Sound Wave Pokémon stood back up and stared Jolteon down as it snickered mischievously.

"Don't lose focus, Noivern," continued Ash. "We've still got a whole lot of other moves to spare! Now, use Boomburst!"

Noivern's body started glowing light-blue, with the inside of its ears glowing the same color mere moments later. After ignoring a wince, it then unleashed a supersonic wave of light-blue aura towards Jolteon, which first swirled around in the air before straightening out as it is neared.

"Break through the Boomburst with Thunder!" Nate ordered.

Jolteon fired one single, extremely powerful lightning bolt into the incoming Boomburst. The bolt tore straight through the supersonic aura wave with ease before heading straight for Noivern's head.

"Dodge it, Noivern!" Ash called.

Noivern flew out of the way, avoiding the Thunder just in the nick of time.

"Don't let it out of your sight, Jolteon!" Nate shouted, pointing at the Sound Wave Pokémon. "Keep shooting at it with Thunder!"

"Keep dodging, Noivern! Try to find an opening!"

With that, the Lightning Pokémon fired Thunder attack after Thunder attack at Noivern. Noivern roared and growled as it twirled and soared through the air, dodging every last powerful lightning bolt. It tried to get close enough to Jolteon so it could attack effectively, but Jolteon had great reflexes; every time it noticed Noivern's movements, it moved its body position within split-seconds and fired yet another Thunder.

 _"Wow,"_ Ash thought. _"Jolteon's just as quick on the ground as Noivern is in the air. Its agile, it has a quick familiarity of all of its surroundings, and it knows exactly when to defend itself. Nate already has a strategy that can counter Noivern's Boomburst, so using that move successfully is going to be difficult. And I can't forget Baby-Doll Eyes. Using close-range moves is going to be useless when Jolteon knows_ that _move..."_ Then, an idea hit him, and Ash grinned. _"Now I know just what to do."_

He pointed triumphantly at Jolteon, and called out loudly, "Noivern, use Supersonic!"

Noivern stopped dodging Jolteon's Thunder attacks, winced, and generated multiple sound-waves from its ears. These sound-waves moved through the air and hit the Lightning Pokémon, causing it to cry out loudly and cower.

"Jolteon!" Nate called in concern. "Hang in there, buddy! Be on the lookout!"

"Yes!" Ash exclaimed. "We have him distracted! Now, Noivern, use Acrobatics!"

Noivern roared, winced, and swooped down towards the Lightning Pokémon. But Nate immediately thought of a good counterattack of his own.

"Quick, Jolteon! Use Double Kick when Noivern gets close!"

Still reeling from the Supersonic attack, Jolteon turned its body around so its backside was facing the incoming Noivern. Then, its hind legs glowed white, and once Noivern got close enough, the Lightning Pokémon kicked it hard and upwards with both legs. Noivern cried out in pain and collided with Jolteon, with both collapsing to the ground.

"Noivern!" Ash cried with concern.

"Jolteon!" Nate shouted loudly.

Once the dust settled, Noivern and Jolteon both shook their heads and stood back up. Then, they looked each other, and a certain spark flashed in their eyes.

"QUICK!" both Trainers shouted at the same time. "USE BOOMBURST/DISCHARGE!"

Both Pokémon fired their attacks at the same time, and both attacks seemed to tear through the air in order to reach their targets. Jolteon was struck and knocked back by the Boomburst, while Noivern was electrocuted by the Discharge, eliciting a cry from the Sound Wave Pokémon.

"WHOA!" everyone exclaimed from the bleachers.

As soon as both attacks were over, Ash and Nate saw that Jolteon had recovered and was standing on its legs again. But as for Noivern, it was on its knees and wing-claws from the Discharge, wincing.

"Quickly, Jolteon!" Nate commanded. "Use Double Kick, then follow it up with a Thunder!"

Jolteon dashed towards its opponent, its hind legs starting to glow white again. Ash narrowed his auburn eyes.

"Noivern, you gotta hang in there!" he shouted.

Noivern moaned weakly in response, but it shook off the effects of the Discharge and glared at the incoming Jolteon.

"Now, Noivern!" exclaimed Ash. "Intercept it with Dragon Claw!"

Once Jolteon got close and was about to execute its Double Kick maneuver, a light-green aura started to envelop each of Noivern's wing-claws and they both enlarged into greater claw-like shapes. Split-seconds later, Noivern slashed at the Lightning Pokémon with both of the claws, knocking it backward and sending it tumbling across the battlefield.

"Don't let up, Jolteon!" Nate called. "I know you've still got it in you! Stick with the original plan and use Thunder!"

Jolteon barked roughly as it fired a powerful lightning bolt from its body.

"Quick, dodge it, Noivern!" Ash ordered.

The Sound Wave Pokémon lifted off into the air again, avoiding the Thunder successfully. But once it got a couple of feet off the ground, it suddenly yelped out in pain and winced even more noticeably. Ash's eyes widened with concern.

"Noivern, are you okay?! Wh-What's wrong?!"

"What's wrong with Noivern...?" Bonnie asked fearfully from the sidelines.

"I don't know," Shauna replied. "It looks like it's in pain."

"Wait a minute," Trevor said, pointing. "Look at Noivern's forehead!"

Everyone else was quick to spot it. "Is that a bruise?" Serena asked.

"It sure looks like it," Calem replied. "Noivern must've gotten that when it hit the ground the first time."

"So that means-"

"Noivern has a big headache?" remarked Bonnie worriedly. "Oh, no..."

"Well, one thing's for sure," Calem said as he looked at Ash. "It sure doesn't do Ash any favors..."

"Noivern!" Ash called from the battlefield. "Hang in there! You've almost got this! Just focus on the battle!"

"Sorry, Ash," Nate replied cockily from the other side of the battlefield. "It looks like this round is mine. Jolteon, use Thunder again!"

Jolteon barked and discharged another powerful lightning bolt at Noivern's direction.

"Dodge it, Noivern!"

Noivern roared as it twirled away from the Thunder attack. Moments later, however, it winced yet again from its splitting headache, and the Sound Wave Pokémon started spiraling towards the ground. Ash's auburn eyes widened with concern.

"Noivern, look out!" he called.

"Bingo," Nate said. He pointed at Noivern's direction. "Use Thunder again, Jolteon!"

Jolteon unleashed yet another Thunder, and this time, it hit its target dead-on. Noivern cried out in pain as the electricity coursed through its body and fired off in multiple directions, illuminating the battlefield with yellow light.

"NOIVERN!" Ash shouted in disbelief, seconds before the Sound Wave Pokémon suffered a painful crash-landing.

* * *

Just a few feet away from the battlefield, Yancy was strolling down a cobblestone path with Florges, Blanche, Kazalie, and Shulin. Blanche was in the lead, skipping jubilantly and with excitement at the upcoming Exhibition Showcase. As for Kazalie and Shulin, the two cousins were gossiping energetically about the latest news regarding Diantha and one of her male costars in their upcoming romantic-comedy movie.

As for Yancy and Florges, they made sure they were at a safe enough distance from the others so they could have a secret conversation.

 _ **"So, what exactly are you going to say that'll convince your parents to help?"**_ asked Florges.

"I'll just tell them Selene wandered off into the city and I couldn't find her," Yancy replied. "It's not exactly lying, anyway. She loves to run off whenever she's in a new place, that Selene."

_**"That does make sense..."** _

"And yet..." Yancy looked down at the ground. "It's still gonna be awkward when I first meet them, though. I mean, I've only seen their younger selves in photographs. Now I've gotta talk to their younger selves in person and treat them like they're strangers?" She looked at Florges. "Flo, what if I accidentally let something slip? What if I say something or do something that'll make them suspicious of my story?"

_**"You continue lying, I guess."** _

"And if that doesn't work, Flo? I mean, applying layers and layers of lies to cover the original lie never turns out well for anyone in the end..."

 _ **"Well, if push comes to shove, then just tell them the truth."**_ When Florges noticed Yancy's reluctant expression, she continued, _ **"You gotta try**_ **something _, Yancy, if it means finding Selene, Nate, and Evelyn."_**

"I guess..." Yancy replied hesitantly.

All of a sudden, Yancy, Florges, and the others heard an explosion, followed by the squawks of startled Fletchling. Gazing towards a row of trees next to them, they all noticed a plume of smoke rising above the treeline.

"What in the world was that?" Kazalie asked.

"There must be a battle going on over there!" Blanche exclaimed.

At that moment, Yancy heard a familiar voice in the distance shouting, "NOIVERN!"

"Daddy...?" she asked worriedly.

Without the slightest bit of hesitation, the pink-haired girl burst into a full-on sprint, quickly followed by Florges.

"Y-Yancy?!" Blanche cried. "Wh-Wha?! Where are you going?!"

But Yancy didn't answer her and just continued to run as fast as she could towards the rising pillar of smoke. She didn't care if she was on her way to the Laurier Maison. All she knew now was that her father was most likely in danger, and she had to help him somehow.

Within a minute, she found herself in a battlefield, situated several yards from the Laurier Maison's southeastern corner. Once the smoke cleared, her blue eyes widened in surprise: Nate was standing on one side of the battlefield, his Jolteon out and looking rather pleased with itself, while on the other side was...

" _Daddy_?!" she squeaked loudly, causing Florges to face-palm.

The young Ash looked up from his unconscious Noivern and spotted Yancy almost immediately. But before he could talk to her, another voice suddenly squealed excitedly, **"YAAANCYYYYY!"**

Yancy saw Selene sprinting towards her from the bleachers, Pichu scurrying right beside her. Before she knew it, her legs were tackled so hard in a hug that she almost fell over.

"Yancy, I'm SO glad you're alright!" Selene squeaked.

"Sel-Selene!" Relief swept over Yancy like a tidal wave, and she knelt down to hug the little girl. "Oh, thank Arceus! I'm so glad I found you all safe and sound!" She then broke the hug and started checking every inch of her sister's body like a concerned, overprotective mother. "Are you okay?! Are you hurt?!"

"I'm fine."

"Pichu pichu!" Pichu squeaked. Then, the Tiny Mouse Pokémon started charging up her electricity. "Piii- **CHUUUUU!** "

Before Yancy could react, she was electrocuted by Pichu's Thunder Shock.

"A-A-A-A-A-G-G-G-G-G-H-H-H-H-H!" the pink-haired girl squealed, her jaws chattering from the volts of electricity.

"Looks like Pichu's happy to see you too!" Selene exclaimed optimistically.

"Th-Th-Th-Thank-k-k-k y-y-y-yo-you-u-u-u, P-P-P-Pi-Pi-Pich-Pich-ch-ch-ch-chu-u-u-u..." Yancy stuttered severely.

"YANCY!" Nate cried, dashing from his position on the battlefield.

"N-Na-Nate-te-te...?" Then, the girl's eyes widened. "N-N-N-N-No! D-D-Do-Do-Don't-t-t-t-t!"

It was too late. Nate hugged Yancy as tightly as he could, only to receive a minor shock from the leftover electricity on the Performer's body.

"A-A-A-A-A-G-G-G-G-G-H-H-H-H-H!" the brown-haired boy cried, his jaws chattering from the volts of electricity.

Unfortunately, some of that electricity rebounded onto Yancy, shocking her again.

"A-A-A-A-A-G-G-G-G-G-H-H-H-H-H!"

And some of _that_ electricity rebounded onto Nate.

"A-A-A-A-A-G-G-G-G-G-H-H-H-H-H!"

"Nate!" Ash cried, having just approached the two teenagers and Selene. "Are you okay?"

He reached out his hand in concern, prompting Serena to cry out, "Ash, don't!"

Too late. He touched Nate's shoulder, and-

"A-A-A-A-A-G-G-G-G-G-H-H-H-H-H!"

And thus, the three continued to receive minor but effective shocks from the electricity left over from Pichu.

"A-A-A-A-A-G-G-G-G-G-H-H-H-H-H!"

"A-A-A-A-A-G-G-G-G-G-H-H-H-H-H!"

"A-A-A-A-A-G-G-G-G-G-H-H-H-H-H!"

"A-A-A-A-A-G-G-G-G-G-H-H-H-H-H!"

"A-A-A-A-A-G-G-G-G-G-H-H-H-H-H!"

"A-A-A-A-A-G-G-G-G-G-H-H-H-H-H!"

Selene and Pichu both simply giggled. Florges merely face-palmed hard.

* * *

Fortunately, it only took a couple of minutes or so for the electricity to subside, and Ash, Nate, and Yancy all recovered. Now, the entire group was congregated at a picnic table located near the battlefield.

"So...you guys know we're all from the future?" asked Yancy, addressing the past selves of her extended family.

"Yep," Calem replied. "Everyone here knows."

"Uh-huh, uh-huh!" Selene added, nodding eagerly.

Yancy heaved out a heavy sigh. "Oh, what a relief. I thought I was gonna have to make up a complicated lie to get you guys to help me out..."

"So you're...Yancy, right?" Serena asked.

"That's me."

Serena blinked in surprise from this answer. She could definitely see herself in Yancy, what with the hairstyle, choice of clothes, and physical traits, but she was puzzled by the color of her hair. She never recalled any of her blood relatives having pink hair, so she wondered where that trait came from. Perhaps it was some sort of recessive trait?

"Well, it's nice to meet you, Yancy," Ash said, smiling. "You do look a lot like Serena."

"I'll say!" a swooning Tierno exclaimed. Yancy couldn't help but feel uneasy from this; was her honorary uncle, who she knew her entire life in the future, actually _smitten_ with her?! Well, she _did_ know about his old crush on Serena, and the fact that she resembled her mother quite a bit, but still...

Fortunately, Shauna caught on to the pink-haired girl's discomfort and elbowed Tierno in the side, a little harder than usual.

"Cut it out, Tierno," she whispered.

"Well," Yancy said, addressing Ash, "it's nice to meet you too, uh... _Dad_..."

Nate then piped up, "So, now that we've found you, Yancy, we just need to find Evelyn. And then, we wait for Celebi to get fully healed, and then, we'll be outta here!"

"Celebi?" Yancy asked, casting a glance at the Time Travel Pokémon, who was now tucked in Selene's arms. She noticed it was bandaged, especially its arm.

"Celebi got hurt, Yancy," Selene replied. "It needs to get better if it'll take us home."

"Pichu pichu," Pichu squeaked in agreement.

"I see..." Yancy looked at Nate. "How long will that take?"

"Nurse Joy said it would take a couple of days. Maybe less."

"So we need to find Evelyn within that time-frame if we're all gonna go back to our time. Arceus, I hope she's around her..." The teenage Performer looked down at the ground somberly and whispered to herself, "I...I still need to apologize to her too..."

"Hey, don't worry, Yancy," Ash said confidently, catching his future daughter's attention. "We'll find Evelyn in no time!" The Pallet Town native clenched his fist with determination. "I promise you that!"

Yancy looked up at him, her eyes shining with awe and admiration. It had been a while since she saw or heard her father being so bright, optimistic, and determined. She should not have been surprised to see such behavior coming from his past self, but nevertheless, it brought her immense relief and comfort, as it always did in her original timeline.

"'Kay..." she replied, nodding her head shyly.

At that moment, Nate said, "It's not gonna be easy, though." He stared at Yancy with a grave expression. "Yancy, Parker is here too."

"Parker?!" Yancy exclaimed in horrified disbelief.

"Mm-hm. He tried to get Celebi last night, but we defeated him and threw him in jail."

Yancy narrowed her eyes seriously. "Like _that's_ gonna make a difference..."

"It _really_ doesn't?" Trevor asked.

Nate ignored him and said, "Also, I haven't seen her here so far, but I'm willing to bet Kay's here as well."

Yancy looked at Celebi again. "We're gonna have to protect Celebi too, and then there's the Exhibition Showcase on top of that."

"What do you mean?" Calem asked.

"Well..." The pink-haired girl started tapping her index fingers together nervously as she focused on Ash and Serena. "I had a feeling you two would be here, so I sorta had to sign up for participation. That way, I could have a good chance of coming in contact with you."

"Oh," Ash said. "Well, you don't have to worry about that anymore, Yancy. You can just skip out on it now."

"I wish I could, but I can't anymore. You see, um...I, uh... _accidentally_ made some new friends and-"

"YANCY!" a voice suddenly squealed. "There you are!"

Everyone turned their heads and saw Blanche, Kazalie, and Shulin running up towards the group. Blanche was the first to reach them, whereupon she stopped and bent over to catch her group.

"Thank...goodness...you're...alright..." the Performer panted out.

"Oh, hey, you guys," Yancy replied.

"Did you find out what that explosion was all about?" Kazalie asked.

"That was us," Ash replied, raising his hand slightly. "Nate and I were just having a friendly battle, and I guess we were using some pretty powerful attacks."

With that, both Ash and Nate chuckled and scratched their own cheeks sheepishly.

"Oh, thank goodness for that."

"Yeah, we were wondering if it was anything serious," added Shulin. "We were also wondering if we should follow Yancy, since she wanted to step in and all. But it's a relief that we don't have to get our clothes dirty or anything."

Everyone else sweat-dropped at the Performer's obviously skewed priorities. In the meantime, Blanche eyed the group for a brief moment before looking at Yancy with an expression of curiosity and intrigue.

"Who are these people, Yancy?" she asked.

"Oh, these are my family and their friends," Yancy replied. She first pointed at Serena. "This is my mo-"

"I'm her sister," Serena interrupted, thinking right off the bat. "My name's Serena!"

"I'm her other sister!" Selene piped up, realizing what her mother was trying to do. "I'm Selene! This is Pichu and Cel- I mean, Sewaddle!"

"Pichu pichu!" greeted Pichu.

"Bi!" Celebi added. Fortunately, none of the three Performers gave it a second thought.

"A-And I'm her cousin," Ash added, quickly following Serena and Selene's lead. "I'm Ash Ketchum, and this is my partner Pikachu."

"Pika!" greeted Pikachu.

"And I'm Clemont!" Clemont stuttered. "Y-Yancy's, uh, th-third, uh, s-step-cousin t-twice removed... Yeah, that's right!" He crossed his arms, looking rather proud of himself and his lie. "Third step-cousin twice removed. That's who I am."

...

"...I'm his sister Bonnie..." deadpanned Bonnie, pointing a thumb at the inventor's direction.

"Nenene!" Dedenne squeaked cheerfully, while Squishy merely let out a low, apprehensive chirp.

"Huh..." Blanche replied. She looked a bit suspicious, especially from Clemont's description, but she seemed to shrug it off and continued with a smile, "It's so nice to meet you!" To everyone's surprise, she bowed politely and then gave them a cheerful smile. "I'm Blanche. Yancy's been so kind to us, so I'm happy to meet her family. I can see where she gets her kindness and hospitality from!"

"I'm Shulin," Shulin added before slinging an arm over Kazalie's shoulders. "And this is my cousin Kazalie."

"Nice to meet you all," Shauna replied warmly.

"Yeah," added Serena. "Thank you all so much for taking good care of my daught- ahem, _sister_."

Yancy shot her mother a puzzled look, but chose not to speak up about it. At that moment, Shulin spoke up.

"Ohhhhh, so _you're_ Serena!" She pointed at the honey-blonde with excitement. "I remember you!"

"You...You _do_?" Serena asked with awe.

"Yeah, you're the Performer who lost to Aria by a _mile_ in the final round of the Master Class Showcase!"

The honey-blonde immediately sweat-dropped glumly. "I'm glad you remembered me _that way_..."

Then, Shulin looked at Nate, and her eyebrows suddenly shot up. Yancy stared with suspicion as her fellow Performer proceeded to scan every inch of her crush's body, a certain glint shining in her eye.

"And who are _you_?" she asked with interest.

"I'm Yancy's friend Nate," the brown-haired boy replied, oblivious to the sultry tone of the Performer's voice. "Pleased to meet you, Shulin."

"Yes, pleased to meet you too..." Once again, Shulin scanned Nate's body from head to toe, and Yancy felt a jealous aura envelop her.

Fortunately, it was dispelled moments later when Shauna remembered something, and she checked her wristwatch.

"Uh-oh!" she exclaimed. "Guys, we've all better get going! The Showcase is about to start in an hour!"

"Wh- _What_?!" Blanche cried in concern. "Come on, girls, let's get going!"

With that, Blanche, Kazalie, and Shulin all rushed off, followed by Shauna. Everyone else looked at each other before running off after the girls. As they did, Ash looked at Nate with a slightly disappointed look.

"I guess we're gonna have to put that battle on hold, huh?" he asked.

"Yep," Nate replied. "It's a shame. I had my best Pokémon saved for the last round..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And thus concludes this chapter! I hope I made the battle between Ash and Nate interesting and unique. I notice I don't particularly excel in formal, sporty battles, but I did put my all into that sequence. And yes! Yancy's finally reunited with the group! Now all they need to do now is just find Evelyn...
> 
> Well, hope you enjoyed this late chapter! TheCartoonFanatic01 is out. PEACE!


	13. An Intersection of Rivalries

_**"Good morning, citizens of Kalos! I'm Mandy Buzzington, reporting live from the lovely, bustling Kiloude City! Of course, today is the day of Kiloude's long-awaited Exhibition Showcase, the first Showcase-related event held in the city in ten years!** _

**_"For those of you who do not know, an Exhibition Showcase is like any other regular Showcase, having a Theme Performance and a Freestyle Performance. However, it is entirely informal and unofficial, meaning there are no Princess Keys as prizes, and no audience voting with Glow Casters. A_ ** **_nd let's not forget the final performance headed by Kalos Queen Aria, featuring all of the participants!_ **

**_"After the conclusion of this Showcase, there will be an outdoor dance party scheduled for midnight, to be attended by the Performers and partners of their choice! Because of this, the Performers are encouraged to leave room for some well-deserved sleep in their schedule. Also, I have just received information that there will be a surprise in store for everyone at the end of the party. Whatever this surprise may be, this reporter hopes it'll be an inspiring speech and/or dazzling performance from Aria herself!"_ **

* * *

**Laurier Maison**

"Who in Arceus's name leaked that information out to the press?!"

"I have no idea, ma'am, but I promise you, we've got the local police department all over it."

"I sure hope so..."

Aria watched as her mentor Palermo pursed her lips and tapped the armrest of her chair, a telltale sign of her irritation and annoyance. The red-faced assistant bowed politely and left the living room, leaving the two females alone. Exhaling calmly, Aria redirected her gaze back to the TV screen, which was still displaying the smug, self-absorbed face of Mandy Buzzington.

_**"And this event is shaping up to be one of the most anticipated in recent Kalosian history! I've heard the attendance rates are spiking to unprecedented levels, and it's only been ten minutes since the ticket booths opened! Look, there's a booth operator!"** _

Mandy and her cameraman advanced towards a sweating, overwhelmed elderly man who was most likely on his break. However, before Aria could hear the ambitious reporter's first question, the TV suddenly turned off.

"Reporters," Palermo said disapprovingly, as she set the remote down on the nearby table. "They're all just a bunch of Mandibuzz. Especially that Buzzington character."

"I'M NOT A MANDIBUZZ!" Mandy's voice suddenly shouted from a distance, but Aria and Palermo both disregarded it.

"Oh, I'm sure they're just doing their job, Master," Aria said politely.

"I've had decades of experience with these characters, Aria. They'll leave each other to the Houndoom if it means getting the first scoop on a big story." Palermo looked at Aria with a serious, almost stern look. "You had an exclusive interview with this Buzzington person yesterday, isn't that right?"

"That's correct, Master."

"I see. Then tell me, did she persist in asking a question that was extremely uncomfortable for you to answer?"

_**"** _ **_It is my understanding that you've never really talked about your childhood and your old life here, not once during your career as a Performer. Now, forgive me for sounding like a Mandibuzz, but it's been a whole ten years, and all the news stations and the biographers and the paparazzi are starving for details!"_ **

_**"And we at Kalos Now want to be the first to know everything! Trust me, it's better if you share it all with us rather than with some paparazzi agency that's on the lookout for the smallest scandal in every corner..."** _

Palermo furrowed her brow as she said, "You do not have to answer that. Your face says it all, Aria." She closed her eyes, and her face became filled with a mixture of concern and disappointment. "Just because you're expected to make people smile doesn't mean you should make yourself gullible and vulnerable to the selfish and voracious expectations of others. Do you understand, Aria?"

"Yes, Master..."

The redhead looked away with a soft exhale, and as she did, she started to mull over her interaction with Mandy before Foster intervened. Sometimes she wondered what would've happened if she acquiesced and given Mandy the full scoop she wanted. A part of her believed telling the whole story would've been therapeutic for her...

...But then again, doing so would've also been too painful for her, and perhaps Mandy would've gotten more than just an in-depth story full of scandalous revelations...

_**"Run, Aria! RUN!"** _

"Aria!"

Aria blinked twice and looked towards the living room doorway, where she saw Palermo, Paris, and a secretary standing there.

"Please come," her mentor said, her brow still furrowed. "The Showcase is about to begin."

"C-Coming!" Aria exclaimed, surprised by the sudden turn in events.

The Kalos Queen stood up, quickly brushed her skirt, and followed the three older women out of the room and into the hallway. As the quartet started walking, Aria noticed Foster and Amara being among the many employees and volunteers cleaning and straightening out all of the Maison's decorations in the hallway. Her eyes met Foster's for a brief second, upon which Aria swiftly averted her gaze. Despite that, she could still feel her childhood friend's concerned gaze boring into her as she passed him.

The three advanced out of the private section of the house and into a mezzanine that overlooked the lobby, which was completely packed with people: Pokémon Performers, their proud families and friends, Showcase fans, intrigued tourists, rabid reporters, possible deviants, the complete package, all waiting to get their tickets processed in multiple lines. But before anyone could spot them, Aria noticed Palermo and Paris moving away from that crowd, towards another door that seemed to be guarded off, and she quickly followed after them.

Before the balcony could obstruct her sight of the crowds below, the redhead saw Serena among the crowd of eager and excited Performers. As usual, she had that bright and cheerful gleam in her sapphire-blue eyes, more potently than the others. Aria sighed ambiguously as the guards opened the door for her and the others.

* * *

Right after Aria left with Palermo and Paris, Serena looked up towards the mezzanine, having sensed the Kalos Queen's stare. However, before she could think about the sensation she just felt, she felt someone tugging at her skirt. Looking down, she found herself staring at Selene's bubbly face.

"Yes, Selene?" she asked.

"Nothing," the little girl replied. "It's just, well..." Her smile widened as she focused on the others in their group, who were all in different lines. "You have movies of yourself performing when you were younger, and I'd always watch those."

Serena blinked in surprise. "I have movies, huh...?"

"Yep! But I never thought I'd get to see the young you performing up-close, Mommy!"

Nearby, Yancy turned towards them and added, "Oh yeah, that's true!" Her cheeks became slightly florid as she stared at the younger version of her mother. "And I'm gonna be performing right beside you, Mom... Even if this isn't an official competition, it still feels so weird..." The pink-haired girl looked down at the floor bashfully. "I...I honestly don't know how I'm gonna compare to you..."

Serena blinked again. For some reason, Yancy looked quite adorable when she was shy and bashful. Perhaps those looks were inherited from her? Did she really look like that when she'd react to Ash's words of praise and encouragement...?

"You don't have to worry about comparing with Serena, Yancy," Ash suddenly said, the Pallet Town native now looking at his future teenage daughter with his usual optimistic smile. "All you need to do is just have fun while you're performing! Have fun and ignore everything else! And then, you'll be able to dazzle the crowd in your own way!"

Yancy smiled knowingly. "Yeah, that's true..."

"Besides, I'm sure you and Serena will do just fine! Like you said, it's not even an official competition with no Princess Key up for grabs, so what's the big deal?"

"Big deal?" a voice suddenly asked in an affronted tone. " _Big deal_?!"

Ash, Serena, Selene, and Yancy turned their heads; upon seeing the speaker, Ash and Serena both frowned.

"The Exhibition Showcase is more than just a means to, quote unquote, _have fun_ ," Sara Lee continued snobbishly as she approached the group, with Concetta trailing at her heels like a meek and loyal Lillipup. "It's one final sendoff by all of the Performers of the season, meant to showcase all of the objective qualities of the performances and styles that they had been using all year. In layman's terms, it's a succinct presentation of all the hard work you put into the past season. Definitely a far cry from just, quote unquote, _having fun_..." The green-haired Performer scowled at Serena and Ash. "But I don't really expect you guys to understand such a significant meaning."

"It's good to see you again, Sara Lee," Serena replied, her voice dripping with bitter sarcasm.

Yancy blinked. "W-Wait a minute, you guys know each other?" she asked, looking between her mother and the other Performer.

"Aaaaand _who_ are _you_?" Sara Lee asked, slowly shooting the pink-haired girl a haughty look.

Yancy blinked again and frowned at the green-haired girl's unpleasant tone. "I-I'm Yancy, Serena's dau- sister, sister."

"Ooh, you're her sister?!" Concetta suddenly exclaimed, her face shining brightly with excitement. "Wow, I didn't know Serena had any siblings! But it figures, 'cause you sure do have her looks!" She then grabbed Yancy's hands, startling the pink-haired teenager. "Tell me, what's it like having a sister who reached the final round of the Master Class on her first season as a Performer?!"

"I, uh..."

Fortunately, Yancy didn't have to answer that, for Sara Lee pulled her friend away from her.

"Don't associate yourself with people of a lower class, Concetta," the green-haired girl said. "It's not good for your moral and physical health."

The increasingly tense conversation was starting to attract the attention of Shauna, Tierno, Trevor, and Calem. Affronted Sara Lee's confrontational nature, the quartet stepped beside Ash and Serena defensively.

"Hey, who in the world do you think you are, calling my cuz low-class?" Calem asked.

"Yeah, who're you calling people of a lower brass?!" Selene squeaked, her cheeks puffed out with outrage. "It just so happens that Mo- uh, _Serena_ is the bestest Performer in the whole world!"

"Pichu-pi!" Pichu squeaked angrily and with agreement. The Tiny Mouse Pokémon had just scurried up her owner's shoulder and was now staring Sara Lee down.

"Bi!" Celebi added from Selene's arms.

" _Bestest_?" Sara Lee stifled a nasty giggle. "HA! Seems to me she was just lucky."

"Serena wasn't lucky," Shauna snarled. "She worked hard to overcome all odds and make it that far in the Master Class. No one can accomplish all of that in their first season through pure coincidence."

Sara Lee smirked at Shauna. "Wow. I'm legit surprised you of all people are saying that to my face." Her smirk widened slightly. "If I can recall, you shed more than a few tears when you got voted out of the Master Class. And I know for a fact this wasn't your first Showcase season-"

"Serena's my _friend_ ," interrupted the tan-skinned Performer; her fists were clenched and trembling with tranquil fury. "I will not sacrifice our friendship for something so selfish, no matter how hard I worked on my performances as well."

Upon hearing this, Serena looked at Shauna in awe. She had no idea her friendly rival had been in the Showcase biz for longer than a year. Then again, she didn't really ask. She had been so focused on becoming Kalos Queen herself. But it brought warmth to heart, knowing that Shauna didn't take her defeat in the Master Class so personally.

"Yeah, you tell her, Auntie Shauna!" Selene exclaimed.

"Hey, stay out of this, pipsqueak," Sara Lee snapped. "This doesn't concern you."

"Don't you dare call my sister a pipsqueak!" Yancy snapped angrily.

"Yeah, that's not very nice!" added Selene.

Sara Lee scowled smugly at both girls before taking the time to scan them from head to toe. Once she was done, she asked with an air of suspicion, "Are you _really_ Serena's sisters?"

Yancy's eyes widened, but she replied calmly, "And what makes you ask that?"

"...There's something _off_ about you two..."

Yancy started to feel her heartbeat quicken. Was Sara Lee starting to see through their simple lie? Were they already exposed...?

"Alright, alright, what's the problem here?" another familiar voice asked in a chipper voice.

Yancy mentally thanked the heavens for Blanche and Kazalie's good timing. Both Performers joined her side and glared at Sara Lee and Concetta, prompting the former's scowl to become even more pronounced.

"Hello, Blanche..." the green-haired girl greeted bitterly.

"Hi, Sara Lee!" Blanche replied, though there was something about her happy-go-lucky voice that sounded blatantly engineered. Even her smile clearly looked fake and forced. "I'm so glad that you're here for the Exhibition Showcase!"

"Yeah... Of course you are..."

"Ohhhhh, I hope we have _so much fun_ for the event!"

Serena and Yancy both noticed Sara Lee's eyes narrowing slightly with disgust, and they couldn't help but wonder why Blanche of all people was eliciting such a reaction from her.

"But in the meantime..." Blanche's tone changed slightly, but it was still enough to bring chills to the others' spines. "Lay off on my friends, 'kay? We all need to be at our very best for the performances ahead!"

Sara Lee gave Serena, Shauna, and Yancy one last stare of disapproval before replying, "Whatever. Come on, Concetta. We need to get changed."

Sticking her chin up slightly yet snobbishly, the Performer gracefully turned around with a twirl of her heel and walked away. Concetta looked from her friend to Serena's group for a brief second, before ambivalently following Sara Lee as quickly as she could. Once the two Performers were out of sight, Yancy sighed with relief and looked at Blanche and Kazalie.

"Wow," she said. "Thanks for stepping in. I owe you one, Blanche."

"Yeah, thank you, Blanche!"

"You're welcome, Yancy," Blanche replied, and this time, the bright cheerfulness in her voice was legitimate. "If you or your sisters are still having problems with Sara Lee, just come to me, okay? We go _waaaaay_ back, so I can handle her just fine."

"You guys go way back, huh...?" Serena asked, intrigued by this admission.

"Ye...Yeah..." All of a sudden, an uncharacteristically gloomy look shadowed Blanche's eyes for the quickest moment, and it did not go unnoticed by Serena, Shauna, and Yancy.

"Well, Blanche and I will be seeing you girls at the dressing room!" Kazalie abruptly exclaimed, dispelling the awkward air. "We already had our tickets processed!"

"Alright, we'll see you there," Yancy replied. Then, she suddenly remembered someone. "By the way, where's Nate?"

"Oh, he's over there."

The departing Kazalie pointed over Yancy's shoulder, and she turned around. A split-second later, her jaw dropped open, and her blue eyes bulged to comical levels.

"ACK?!"

"So, Nate..." Shulin said slowly, giving Nate an entranced stare, "where are you from...?"

"Oh, I'm from Aspertia City in Unova," the brown-haired Trainer replied sincerely, still oblivious to the look the Performer was giving him.

"Unova, huh? I've been to Unova before. It's no wonder..."

Nate blinked with curiosity. "No wonder?" he repeated. "What do you mean by that?"

"I've always liked the guys over there. They're always so strong, but not the super-muscular kind of strong. Just...strong in the modest way..." Shulin's smile widened slightly, and she had a dreamy look on her face. "You get what I'm saying, Nate...?"

"I think..." But poor Nate looked more confused than anything.

"Hey, when this Showcase is over, maybe you can be my partner for the dance party."

"There's a dance party?" Nate asked, surprised.

"There's a dance party?" Ash asked as well.

"Yep! I still don't have a partner-"

"NO WAY, JOSE!"

Yancy suddenly stood between Nate and Shulin, catching the attention of everyone else in their group. Her face was as pink as her hair, her fists were clenched and trembling, and she had a strange aura about her.

"Nate's taken!" the pink-haired girl exclaimed.

"I...I am...?" Nate asked, his head now spinning.

Shulin scowled at Yancy. "Really? It doesn't sound like he is..." she replied.

"Well, he is!" Yancy turned around and stared deeply into Nate's brown eyes. "Are you, Nate?!"

"I-I _guess_ ," he said, blushing a little, "but-"

Yancy looked back at Shulin with triumph. "See!"

Shulin's frown became even more pronounced, and she stared at Yancy with an air of suspicion, but she shrugged and replied, "If you insist... _Pinkie_." She then looked towards the ticket booth. "Well, if you'll excuse me, I need to get myself signed in."

The green-haired Performer walked away, whereupon Yancy sighed with relief.

"You okay, Yancy?" Nate asked.

"I've never been better, Nate!" Yancy replied, giving her friend a forced smile.

"You sure? And...w-what was _that_ all about? I didn't know there'd be a dance party-"

"Well, there is, and it's after the Showcase. It's been all over the news."

"Oh." Nate scratched the back of his head. "Sooooo...I guess that means...I'll be your partner, then?"

Yancy nodded vigorously. "Uh-huh!"

"Oh. Cool!" Nate then noticed the next available ticket booth. "Oh, it's my turn! I'll see you on the other side, guys!"

The Trainer walked off towards the booth, and that was when Yancy's face started to turn into a deep shade of red.

"Are...Are you _okay_ , Yancy...?" Clemont asked.

"Y-Ye-Yep! N-Ne-Ne-Nev-Never b-b-b-been b-b-be-be-bet-better!"

Now it was Serena's jaw that dropped open. She couldn't believe what she was seeing right now. But there was definitely no mistaking it. Her future daughter had a crush of her own...and it was THE SAME EXACT SITUATION she was having with Ash! A huge part of her was rejoicing in the fact that she now had someone trustworthy to talk to about her boy problems...

Hopefully Miette wouldn't get a hold of this development-

"Hey, Ash!"

"ACK!"

Serena turned around and saw none other than Miette approaching the group. Even more surprising was the fact that she was accompanied by...

"N- _Nini_?!" the Vaniville Town native stuttered. "Mi-Miette?!"

"That's us!" the rotund Performer replied. Then, she noticed Selene and smiled sweetly at her. "So this must be your daughter! Selene, right?" As Selene nodded, Nini noticed the Celebi in the girl's arms. "Oh, my goodness! A _Celebi_!"

Serena's blue eyes widened in shock, and the others looked around to see if anyone else in the massive crowd heard that while she said, "H-How-How'd you know-?"

"Miette told me," Nini responded, as if the answer was as obvious as day. But with that, everyone else stared daggers at Miette.

"You _blabbed_?!" Shauna exclaimed.

"You've gotta be kidding me, Miette!" added Serena.

"Well, we were in the same hotel when we saw that report about what happened last night!" replied Miette, her hands raised defensively. "Nini saw you guys on the TV, and then I let something slip, and then it all just went from there!"

"Don't worry, you guys," Nini said, placing an index finger on her lips. "I have no intention of telling anyone else."

"Hopefully..." deadpanned Calem. "It's not really a secret if a lot of people know about it in the first place..."

"You got that right, dude..." Tierno added.

Immediately afterwards, Selene ran forward and hugged Nini with one arm, since the other was still tucking Celebi.

"I'm so glad to see you, Auntie Nini!" she exclaimed cheerfully.

Nini blushed a little at the girl's undeniable adorableness. "Auntie Nini, huh...?" She reached into her pocket and pulled out a purple lollipop. "Here, I snatched this from the hotel. You can have it."

Selene's eyes sparkled with wonder at the sight of the treat. "A Bluk Berry-Pop! My favorite! Thank you so much, Auntie Nini!"

The girl took the candy from Nini's hand, and Pichu helped her rip off the plastic wrapping. Then, she started licking and sucking at the hardened, flavored sugar. Nini, Shauna, Tierno, Trevor, and Calem smiled with adoration as they watched Selene enjoying her treat.

Meanwhile, Miette looked at Ash with her reddish-orange eyes, causing Serena's insides to boil like soup as usual. "Speaking of what happened last night..." she said. "I must say, you're quite the valiant fighter, Ash. Hopefully I'll be able to have you as my dance partner again."

"NO WAY, JOSE!"

Before she knew it, Serena stood between Ash and Miette. She quickly disregarded the sensation of déjà vu she had from this act and said quickly, "You're not hogging Ash today, because _I'm_ having him as my dance partner this time!"

"You...You are?" Ash replied, surprised.

"Ah, taking the initiative, I see..." Miette said, smiling with approval. "Good for you, Serena."

Serena blinked with shock. "You're...You're not upset with that...?" she asked.

"Nope. It's alright. I always have a backup plan." Before anyone knew it, she took Clemont's arm and leaned her head against his shoulder. "Isn't that right, Clemont?"

Poor Clemont was reduced to a mere stuttering mess, and Bonnie and Dedenne both shook their heads in disapproval.

Then, at that moment, Miette spotted Yancy and Nate and noted how close in proximity they were to Ash and Serena. "Oh, who're you guys?"

Despite recognizing her Aunt Miette almost immediately, Yancy prepared to lie when Serena replied, "Oh, that's right! Miette, these are Yancy, Selene's sister, and her friend Nate!"

"Yancy and Nate, huh? Yeah, I remember those names." She scanned both teenagers from head to toe. "Yeah, you guys _do_ look like a Yancy and a Nate."

"Wh-What's that supposed to mean...?" Nate asked, confused.

However, Miette was now fully focused on Yancy. The pink-haired girl became rigid, being aware what her aunt's future self was like, and awaited any remarks from her. Eventually, she did get one.

"Hm. Aside from the hair color, you really _do_ look like Serena..."

"Th-Th-Thank you!" Yancy exclaimed, her voice cracking in the process. "I-I get a-a lot!"

Miette then smirked. "You can even be fidgety like her. It's cute."

Yancy's face turned bright-pink with embarrassment, her lower lip quivered, and her knees buckled, just a little. Serena was quick to see this, and her eyebrows shot up with a mixture of curiosity and concern. However, Miette disregarded their reactions and half-dragged the still-unfortunate Clemont towards the ticket booth.

"Come on, dear!" the blue-haired girl exclaimed. "The Showcase awaits!"

"Help meeeee..." Clemont wheezed pathetically.

"Oh, brother..." Bonnie replied with disappointment as she followed the pair. "With that attitude, you'll _never_ find a girl to keep, Clemont..."

"Nenene..." Dedenne squeaked in agreement.

When the three of them disappeared into the crowd, Serena approached Yancy, who was still trembling and pink-faced.

"I'm sorry about that, Yancy," she said. "Miette _always_ finds a way to get under your nerves." She then let out a hollow, forced chuckle. "But I assume you already know that."

"Oh, she's that, and then some..." Yancy replied, her voice trembling slightly.

"Huh? What do you mean by that, Yancy?"

"Well...in the future, Miette's a producer involved in Showcases. She trains potential Kalos Queens."

Serena's eyes widened with surprise. "You mean like Palermo?"

"Uh-huh. Just like her. And..." Yancy bit her lip gently. "Though she always means well, the Miette I know always has an opinion of a Performer that this girl must know about, along with everyone else around them. Usually it's negative. And she doesn't really hold back with the criticism. Unfortunately, that tendency of hers always tends to seep into her normal conversations."

"Oh, my..."

"Yeah. She's made a career staple out of publicly humiliating Performers that she disapproves of."

Serena suddenly had a nightmarish vision of being approached by an adult Miette while in the middle of her Freestyle Performance. The older Miette, towering over her by several feet and wearing her usual smug look, amplified tenfold, was doing an in-depth evaluation of her style that took up hours and had nothing positive to mention. Because of that, the entire audience, Ash, Clemont, and Bonnie included, were booing her to the point where she fled the city in tears and wound up becoming fat from consuming too much sweets in shame-

"I'd hate to be on the receiving end of one of her evaluations, then..." Serena said.

"Yeah, it's not a fun experience. Trust me, I've gotten a couple of those evaluations from her before. I was in tears the first time."

"I'm sorry to hear..."

Yancy shook her head. "It's okay. That was a while back...or a while forward, I guess. I've learned to apply her criticism to my future performances since then." Yancy's lips then curved into a soft smile. "Plus, I had Nate supporting me all the while, so it was a pretty good balance..."

Serena looked at Yancy, and immediately remembered the jealousy she displayed when Shulin started flirting with Nate.

"Yancy..." the honey-blonde said, hesitating for a brief moment to make sure she chose her words carefully, "do...do you like Nate...?"

Yancy's face, once a light shade of pink, darkened to a deep shade of red within a split-second. "D-D-Do I l-l-l-li-like...?" She looked over her shoulder to see if Nate was watching before replying, "Wh-What makes you think-?"

"I'm your mother, Yancy," Serena interrupted. "Don't think I don't know about your thing with Nate! Every time I see you looking at him, I see it in your eyes! The light!" She suddenly retched a little. "My goodness, I can't believe I just used Mom's lines..."

"Yeah, you're right, Mom..." Yancy looked at Nate again as he was talking with Selene and patting her head while she cooed, and the teenager smiled a tiny smile. "I do like Nate... A lot..."

Serena felt her heart flutter a little at being called 'Mom', but she remained calm and replied, "It's okay, Yancy. Trust me, it's perfectly natural to have those feelings." She then cast a dreamy glance towards Ash, who was now preoccupied with Selene and Celebi. "After all, I know _exactly_ how it feels..."

"Having a crush on a guy who knows next to nothing about romance, is so preoccupied with Pokémon and battling, and can never catch on to your hints no matter how obvious you make them?" Yancy rolled her eyes, as did Serena. "Yeah, we're definitely in the same boat."

At that moment, Serena looked at Yancy, and Yancy looked back. There was a glint in their eyes, one that indicated a certain understanding. It was a good feeling for the both of them: Serena finally had someone she could relate to, while Yancy felt like she had reached a whole new level of understanding with her mother.

"Hey, Serena, Yancy!" Ash called, catching the girls' attention.

"Why're you two holding up the line?!" added Nate. "Come on, we've gotta move along!"

Serena and Yancy looked at each other, and then they giggled.

* * *

**Outside the Laurier Maison**

Surprisingly enough, Serena and Yancy's group was lucky to have arrived early in the day. Compared to the Maison's lobby, there was a gargantuan crowd that had assembled outside the Showcase theater over the past hour or so. It had reached a point where employees had to set up positions and control the crowd by redirecting them into long lines on the concrete bridge that had been built over the Maison's deep moat.

At this point, every last civilian was aspiring to make it into the Maison and get their tickets processed in time for the Exhibition Showcase, but it seemed their hopes might be dashed sooner or later. After all, the unprecedented size of the crowd made it clear that the Maison would not accommodate absolutely everyone.

In front of the bridge, a black limousine with tinted windows approached, catching the eye of everyone nearby. Inside the elongated vehicle, Amelia scowled nastily at the pedestrians.

"Look at all of those commoners, Uncle Adam," she spat, her eyes narrowing with disgust. "Most of them are probably here rooting for their all-time favorite Performers, not knowing that I already have the grace and finesse to outmatch them all. That much _has_ to be true if even that stuck-up producer at Fleurrh cannot approve my skills as a Performer." She looked away. "They do not understand true talent even if it hit them in the face. It's unacceptable."

Adam smiled. "Do not focus on the commoners, darling," he replied. "As people of a lower class, they inherently cannot know any better. What you need to focus on is the source of the commoners' misguided opinions. And what do you think that is, my dear?"

Amelia paused for a moment to mull over her answer. "The competition...?"

"That's right, dear. The _competition_." Adam placed a hand on the Performer's shoulder and gestured to the pedestrians with his outstretched palm. "Look at all those people. They're not born artists. They're just here to see a show of lights and sparkles and dancing Pokémon. That's all they expect in _any_ sort of Pokémon competition. And that is _exactly_ what the competition is giving to them. Lights and sparkles and dancing Pokémon. It doesn't matter what kind of style these other Performers are using. They'll eat it all up like candy."

"Then what exactly should I do to make the audience notice me over the other Performers...?" Amelia asked hopefully.

"Make your performance flashier and more sparkly than everyone else. Push your Pokémon to their limits and beyond. If the audience wants that, then you need to increase your efforts tenfold." Adam's smile widened. "And, of course, knock your opponents down a peg or two. Forcefully, if you have to. Subtly, of course."

"Yes, yes, that's right..." Amelia sneered. "I'll knock them down _hard_ if I must. No mercy."

"That's the spirit, my darling."

At that moment, the limousine stopped in front of the bridge, and the chauffeur unlocked the doors from his seat. Adam patted his niece's back halfheartedly as she opened the door and got out, followed by two assistants who had been in the limousine with them the whole time.

"Blow them away with your dazzling performances, dear," he said.

Amelia turned around, puzzled. "You're...You're not going to be in the audience...?" she asked.

"What, and mingle with those commoners? I think not." He chuckled for a brief moment. "I reserved a special booth in the Maison. That way, I can watch the entire Showcase from the comfort of luxury. There's no need to sully my new and expensive shoes with that dirty and uncleaned floor, now is there?"

Amelia blinked, then immediately smiled, almost with relief. "O-Of course! That's true!" Her eyes sparkled with absolute admiration. "I-I want you to know, Uncle, I'm dedicating my performance just to you!"

Adam blinked slowly and ambiguously. "Isn't that sweet of you? I look forward to it."

Amelia waved at her uncle, trying her hardest to control her excitement. Once one of her assistants closed the door for her, the Performer turned around and looked towards the Maison, her grin exhibiting all of her smug determination in its glory.

 _"I'll knock all of you low-class Performers done, just like my uncle would've done,"_ she thought. _"_ Especially _you, Serena. I'm_ so _gonna save you for last..."_

* * *

Once Amelia's assistant closed the door for her, Adam glanced at the chauffeur.

"Take us to the Maison parking garage, pronto," he ordered. "I need everything to be timed _exactly_ right."

"Yes, sir," the middle-aged, muscular man replied.

Once the limousine began moving again, Adam began tapping his foot impatiently. He was expecting a call, but it was supposed to be coming in right now. Things were already seconds behind schedule...

In just a couple of minutes, the pedestrians were now out of sight, and the limousine was approaching an underground entrance at the western side of the Maison. At that moment, Adam finally felt his cellphone vibrating in his pocket.

He quickly responded to the call and was about to snarl something when he heard the caller say, _**"Hey, Adam! Hey! Hey, man! Yeah, it's me, Nick."**_

" _Really_?" Adam snarled sarcastically. "And all this time, I was so excited, thinking it'd be Santa Claus."

 ** _"Oh."_** There was a pause. _**"Wait, you have Santa Claus's**_ **phone number** _ **?!"**_

Adam sighed and shook his head with disappointment. "I'm assuming you haven't heard of sarcasm before..."

_**"No, haven't heard of it. Sounds like a dish they serve in Hoenn. Why? Have you tried it before?"** _

"Yes, I did, and it tastes like _your sorry butt being carted off to prison_ **because you are wasting my precious time right now _and you are two minutes and sixteen seconds behind schedule_ , SO I SUGGEST YOU FILL ME IN ON YOUR CURRENT PROGRESS ON THE THING, _OR I'LL HAVE OFFICER JENNY ON THE PHONE BEFORE YOU CAN SAY SIMISAGE_!**"

...

...

...

...

...

"We're all ready to go..." Nick replied meekly. "We're just waiting for your approval to go on ahead..."

"Good!" Adam exclaimed hoarsely. " _That's_ much better!" He took a moment to clear his throat, his voice still recovering from his startling outburst. "Go on ahead, Nick. Remember, you need to be in and out of there within thirty minutes. And remember, _no screw-ups_."

"Oh, when have I ever let you down before, man?!"

Adam blinked slowly. "Mossdeep City."

...

"Oh, come on! That was five years ago, for heaven's sake!"

"I still feel like it happened five _minutes_ ago, Nick! And you know what happened to you and the other guys after THAT mishap!"

"You don't have to remind me, man..."

"Then LISTEN to me for once in your life. And I will repeat myself for you. No. Screw. Ups."

"G-Got it, Adam. Bye-"

Adam hung up before Nick could finish his sentence. He then leaned back on his seat and let out a sigh of irritation.

 _"You just can't rely on anyone these days..."_ he thought.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And this concludes the latest chapter of this story, ladies and gentlemen! The Exhibition Showcase is now about to be underway and Serena is having a reunion with more of her rivals, both good and bad. The next chapter will depict the start of the Exhibition Showcase, as well as a small teaser of more that's about to come. :D
> 
> Well, hope you enjoyed this chapter! TheCartoonFanatic01 is out. PEACE!


	14. Setting the Exhibition Stage

**Laurier Maison**

"I guess this is where we part ways for now!"

Upon reaching the hallway that led to the dressing room, Serena, Yancy, Shauna, Miette, and Nini all turned around to look at Ash, Selene, Nate, and the others. All of their Pokémon were sent out: Serena's Braixen, Sylveon, and Pancham; Yancy's Florges, Quilladin, Alolan Ninetales, Tundra Pattern Vivillon, and Spinda; Shauna's Ivysaur, Orange Flower Flabébé, Swirlix, and Gothita; Miette's Slurpuff, male Meowstic, and Togetic; and Nini's Smoochum, Farfetch'd, and Gothita.

"Good luck, you guys!" Trevor exclaimed.

"Yeah," added Calem. "We know you can do it!"

"I have faith in all of you!" Nate declared. He then looked at Yancy with his usual charming smile. "Especially you, Yancy! You'll definitely blow the audience away like usual!"

Yancy's face immediately turned red. "Th-Th-Thank you, N-N-Na-Nate," she stuttered.

Serena looked at Yancy and smiled softly with understanding. The poor pink-haired girl was trying her best to maintain eye contact, but her expression looked absolutely ridiculous as her blue eyes met with Nate's. Her posture was rigid and trembling, and her fists were balled up into awkward-looking fists, as if she was prepared to punch Nate at any moment. It was a surreal sight, since Yancy shared much of her physical characteristics, and even similar tastes in clothing. Was this _really_ how she looked every time she had an intimate moment with Ash...?

Just then, as if the heavens had heard her musings, Miette piped, "What about _you_ , Ash? Do you have faith in Serena blowing the audience away?"

"M-Mi- _Miette_?!" Serena stuttered.

To the honey-blonde's dismay, Ash replied, "Of course I do! Serena's a great Performer! Probably the greatest I've ever seen! I _know_ she'll do well out there."

"Pika!" Pikachu added in agreement.

Serena's face immediately turned red, just like Yancy's. "Th-Th-Thank you, A-A-A-Ash."

Yancy looked at the younger self of her mother, her eyes widening with surprise. When she was a child, her mother told her stories of all of the experiences that she had with Ash. She also used examples of her old relationship with Ash while sharing advice on how to deal with a crush. Yancy knew her mother had an _extremely_ rough start with Ash, romantically speaking, but to see it in person was an eye-opener in its own right. She could see herself in Serena as the poor honey-blonde tried to maintain eye contact with Ash. In fact...was this _really_ how she looked every time she had an intimate moment with Nate...?

"Wow, what about us?" Shauna asked teasingly, her arms crossed. "Do you have any faith in _us_ , Ash?"

"I do," Calem suddenly replied, catching the tan-skinned girl's attention. "I'm not really the biggest expert in Pokémon Showcases, but I'm sure you'll do fine out there, Shauna, if you're so devoted to them."

Now Serena and Yancy both started to empathize with Shauna as she blushed intensely and started twiddling her fingers nervously.

"O-Oh!" she replied, her voice wavering abruptly. "Th-Th-Thank you, C-C-Ca-Calem."

In the background, unbeknownst to anyone else, Miette closely observed Serena, Yancy, and Shauna one-by-one. The blue-haired Performer was wearing a silly but crafty grin that stretched from ear to ear.

"Alright, out of the way, out of the way!" a familiar voice exclaimed. "Future Kalos Queen coming through!"

Everyone turned around to see a certain magenta-haired, eccentrically-dressed woman sauntering through the startled crowd of attendants, flanked by a peculiar Meowth, a Wobbuffet, and a Super Size Gourgeist. The quartet was closely followed by a blue-haired man, who despite his more modest choice of clothing still stuck out like some sort of tourist. Yancy and Selene both sweat-dropped upon recognizing Jessie, James, and Meowth.

"Jessilee?" Serena asked. "You're here too?"

The trio froze in their tracks, seemingly shocked to see the twerps there. But Jessie quickly recomposed herself.

"Why, of course!" she replied. "This is my last opportunity to showcase my undeniable beauty to the masses of Kalos! And there's nothing _you_ can do about it, twer- I mean, _Serena_."

Serena blinked for a moment, then replied, "Well, I wish you the best of luck, then!"

"Luck? HA! I don't need luck to win this Showcase! Luck needs _me_!" Jessie, Meowth, and her Pokémon confidently and boldly strolled right through the group. "Out of the way!"

The group disappeared into the dressing room, while an overwhelmed James remained idle for a few moments before dashing off for the auditorium, like it was an afterthought.

"You sure attract quite the interesting crowd with these Showcases, Serena dear," Layla remarked.

"Ummmmm..." Yancy said, catching Serena's attention, "did you guys not know who those people _were_...?"

"Sure we know them!" replied Serena. "Jessilee and her crew. Come to think of it, I never found out the name of that guy who's always with her. He's probably her boyfriend or something. But...he seems familiar for some reason. They all do."

"Yeah, I've always had that feeling," Ash added.

"Me too," Clemont said.

"Me three!" exclaimed Bonnie. "It's like we know them from somewhere else that's not Showcases."

"Nenene," chirped Dedenne.

"THAT'S BECAUSE THEY'RE TEAM R- MMPH!"

Yancy sprung forward and covered Selene's mouth before she could get anymore words out.

"What my sister meant to say is that they're a, uh, a _righteous team_!" the pink-haired girl lied through clenched teeth.

"A righteous team, huh?" Ash asked. "Why? Do we get to know them better in the future?"

"You, uhhhhh...you could say that..."

"Huh..." Serena blinked slowly. "Well, they don't give off that feeling, but if that's what Selene has to say about them, then I guess they can be trusted!"

Selene merely glared at her older sister and puffed out her cheeks. But before Yancy could give her some sort of signal, Shauna quickly checked her watch and then gasped.

"Come on, girls!" she exclaimed. "We can't waste anymore time! Let's all get over to the dressing room!"

"Right!" Nini replied. "We can't afford to be late!"

The five Performers rushed off down the hallway, waving goodbye to their friends as they did.

"Good luck out there, Serena!" Grace called.

"Thanks, Mom!" Serena called back.

"We all know you can do it out there!" Clemont called encouragingly.

"So give it your best!" added Bonnie.

"Dedenne!" Dedenne squeaked, while Squishy garbled in support.

"Thanks, guys!" Miette replied.

The five girls reached the dressing room, and Shauna, Miette, and Nini were all quick to step inside. But before Serena and Yancy could follow their friends, they suddenly heard a familiar voice.

"Serena! Yancy!"

Both Performers stopped and turned back towards the group.

"Yes, Ash?!" Serena called.

Ash was wearing a confident grin. "Remember, never give up till the end!" he replied, raising a clenched fist as he spoke.

Serena's eyes widened a little at the words, as did Yancy's. But they both recovered from their surprise, grinned just as determinedly as Ash, and replied at the same time, "Right!"

* * *

Serena and Yancy stepped inside the dressing room...and then stopped and stared with awe.

Usually, the dressing rooms for Showcase Theaters were half-full at most, even for a Master Class Showcase. However, the Laurier Maison's dressing room was apparently an exception. Serena could see almost every single Performer who had ever participated in a Showcase during the past year.

She first saw Shauna, Miette, and Nini, who all looked rather overwhelmed as they desperately searched for spots where they could privately change.

Then, she saw Blanche, Kazalie, and Shulin, who were all excitedly talking amongst themselves. Blanche and Kazalie were already dressed in their handpicked Showcase uniforms, while Shulin was still putting the finishing touches on her dress. As she did, Kazalie helped out her cousin by styling her hair.

Next, Serena saw Sara Lee and Concetta. Poor Concetta seemed to be at the receiving end of one of Sara Lee's self-centered admonishments, for she was blushing with embarrassment while the green-haired Performer talked down to her in a patronizing tone. Occasionally, Sara Lee would shoot ambiguous glances at Blanche, making Serena wonder exactly what kind of connection the two of them had in the past.

She could also see a quartet of Performers talking to one another, apparently about some surprise event that was slated to occur directly after the dance party. They were Alouette, the Furfrou Trainer who participated in the Coumarine City Showcase; Elma, the Roserade Trainer who also participated in the Coumarine Showcase; Kayleigh, the Furfrou Trainer whose performance had been interrupted by Pancham during the Lagoon Town Showcase; and Lily, the Solrock Trainer who had been grouped with Serena and Nini during the Theme Performance of the Anistar City Showcase.

And of course, there was Jessilee, who for some strange reason was talking to her Meowth like it was a human.

And there was a variety of other unnamed Performers that Serena remembered, much to her surprise.

The Honchkrow Trainer from the Fleurrh City Showcase; the Nidoqueen Trainer from the Anistar City Showcase; the Trainer with the Plusle and Minum, from the Dendemille Town Showcase; the Dragonite Trainer from the Coumarine City Showcase; and the Scizor Trainer from the Coumarine Showcase were feeding some Poké Puffs to their Pokémon while doing some last-minute touches to their looks.

The Smeargle Trainer from the Fleurrh Showcase, the Sneasel Trainer from the Dendemille Showcase, the Vanillish Trainer from the Dendemille Showcase, the Lickitung Trainer from the Dendemille Showcase, the Honedge Trainer from the Dendemille Showcase, and the Furret Trainer from the Coumarine Showcase all had their eyes glued to the TV set. They were most likely waiting eagerly for Monsieur Pierre's opening announcement.

The Trainer with the Pansage, Pansear, and Panpour, from the Couriway Town Showcase; the Litleo Trainer from the Dendemille Showcase; the Marill Trainer from the Coumarine Showcase; the Kirlia Trainer from the Coumarine Showcase; and the Swanna Trainer from the Coumarine Showcase were reviewing their performance strategies with their Pokémon. All of them were achieving varying degrees of success with their practices.

The Heliolisk Trainer from the Coumarine Showcase, the Psyduck Trainer from the Coumarine Showcase, and the Swirlix Trainer from the Coumarine Showcase had all apparently arrived just before Serena, Yancy, Shauna, Miette, and Nini. They were all struggling to quickly get into their dresses and apply makeup to their Pokémon in the nick of time.

The Trainer with the Teddiursa and Ducklett, from the Couriway Showcase, was having an argument with the Mightyena Trainer from the Anistar Showcase and the Vileplume Trainer from the Coumarine Showcase. Apparently, Teddiursa and Ducklett had done something to agitate Mightyena and Vileplume. The argument wound up being interrupted when the Munchlax from the Anistar Showcase waddled into the fray and ate Mightyena's food without asking, prompting its own Trainer to join in the heated exchange.

"EXCUSE ME, EXCUSE ME!" a voice squeaked.

Serena, Yancy, and their Pokémon all immediately made way for yet another Performer, who Serena recognized as the Trainer with the Sylveon from the Coumarine Showcase. She was accompanied by none other than her own Intertwining Pokémon.

"Ohhhhhhh, the dressing room's _packed_!" the Performer moaned in disbelief. "How am I gonna be able to have some privacy while I change?! Ohhh, I gotta find a space to hog, and quick! Let's see, let's see, let's see..."

The girl rushed off, muttering to herself and making quick and frantic glances. Her Sylveon sweat-dropped and bowed her head at Serena's and Yancy's Pokémon.

"Sylvie-syl, sylvie," it said apologetically.

"Sylvie," replied Serena's Sylveon as she smiled brightly.

"Syl-syl, sylvie," Yancy added.

"Sylvie," the other Sylveon said, nodding at Yancy.

...

Serena and the Pokémon, including the second Sylveon, gawked at Yancy with shock. But before the other Sylveon could say anything, its Trainer called out, "Sylveon! Come here, quick!"

Unable to comprehend what had just happened, the Sylveon obeyed its Trainer's command and dashed after her, giving one last look of confusion at Yancy as it did. Serena, on the other hand, had her lower jaw dropped open.

"You...can _speak_ to Sylveon...?" she asked, astounded.

"Yeah," Yancy replied bashfully. "It's...It's an ability that I have. I can understand all Fairy-type Pokémon, and I can talk to them as well."

Serena's eyes widened. "Wow... So you can speak to _my_ Sylveon?"

"Uh-huh." Yancy looked down at Serena's equally-befuddled Sylveon and said, "Syl-syl, sylvie syl-eon, sylvie-syl, eon."

"Sylvie..." Sylveon replied hesitantly.

"What'd you tell Sylveon?" asked Serena.

"To not be freaked out by me. It's something she'll learn to live with in the future."

"Sylvie," Sylveon replied, nodding in affirmation.

"Oh..." Serena smiled. "That's very impressive! Do...Do you think you can teach me?"

"Well, I could, if I knew how I got my ability in the first place. Apparently I was born with it."

"Born with it?"

"Yes. For my entire life, I've been able to understand and talk to Fairy-type Pokémon, no matter what the species. Even half-Fairy-types count. And yet, I just can't seem to understand that part of myself, no matter how hard I try to search for answers." Then, Yancy's eyes narrowed slightly. "You _do_ seem to know where my ability comes from in the future, though..."

"I do?"

"Yeah. You _and_ Dad. I can tell, but whenever I ask, you two always pretend that you don't know. Whatever my secret is, you want it kept that way, even from me."

"Huh..." Serena raised an eyebrow with intrigue. "I guess I'll find out in a few years, when I have you."

Meanwhile, Braixen, Sylveon, and Pancham all looked at each other with a mixture of shock, confusion, and intrigue.

Just then, Shauna called out, "Hey, Serena! Yancy! Over here!"

Serena and Yancy looked at Shauna's direction, and found that she, Miette, and Nini were already dressed up. With them now were Blanche, Kazalie, Shulin, and all of their Pokémon: Blanche's male and female Meowstic, Kazalie's Lilligant, and Shulin's Escavalier and Accelgor. Mentally agreeing to save the conversation for another time, Serena and Yancy joined their friends.

"I can't believe this is happening!" Nini squealed. "And just when I thought that the Showcase season was over!"

"You know, I honestly thought they wouldn't be having an Exhibition Showcase this year," Miette remarked. "Guess they threw us a curve-ball on that one."

As for Shauna, she spotted Yancy's Pokémon for the first time and started admiring them one by one.

"Wow, Yancy," she said. "So I'm assuming these are all of your Pokémon?"

"Why, yes, they are," Yancy replied. She then proceeded to point at each one of them, starting off with her Florges. "This is Flo."

Florges bowed politely at Shauna, Miette, Nini, Blanche, Kazalie, and Shulin. Yancy then pointed at Quilladin.

"That's Chestnut, my starter Pokémon."

"Quill, quill!" Quilladin exclaimed before doing a small somersault for the Performers. Then, it spotted Nini's Smoochum, and within split-seconds, hearts appeared in its eyes. "QUILL, QUILL, QUILL!"

Smoochum squeaked in fear and hid behind Nini's legs. Quilladin prepared to dash forward with the full intent of kissing the Kiss Pokémon, but fortunately, Florges held the lovestruck Spiny Armor Pokémon back, sighing and shaking her head in disapproval as she did. This did not deter Quilladin, for it tried to break free, without any success.

"Wow," Nini said. "I think Quilladin's in love with my Smoochum."

Yancy sweat-dropped. "He falls in love with any female Pokémon he sees. It never goes well for him in the end."

Serena sweat-dropped as well. "He reminds me of a certain other Quilladin..." she said, her mind filling with memories of a wild Quilladin desperately running towards her Eevee.

Just on cue, Smoochum saw Serena's Pancham and, knowing that Quilladin was now restrained, skipped over to him and tried to kiss him.

"Pancham, pancham!" Pancham wailed helplessly as he tried to hold the Kiss Pokémon back.

Upon seeing Smoochum's strong display of affection towards Pancham, Quilladin froze, his jaw dropping open. Then, he glared hatefully at Pancham, and Serena could tell he was plotting something diabolical against her Playful Pokémon.

Yancy then approached her Alolan Ninetales and started stroking its head.

"This is Blanche."

"You named your Ninetales after me?!" Blanche exclaimed in surprise.

"No, sorry," Yancy replied quickly. "It's just a coincidence that you two share the same name. I don't know how that happened."

Ninetales merely cooed and licked its Trainer's fingers fondly. Meanwhile, Serena and the others stared at Ninetales with surprise and intrigue.

"Is that _really_ a Ninetales?" Kazalie asked.

"It is, actually," Yancy replied. "It's usually a special kind found only in the Alola region."

"Just like my cousin's Golem," remarked Serena.

"Yeah, that's right! But for some reason, I found Blanche wandering around in a forest at Route 20, near Snowbelle City. She was a Vulpix at the time, and I don't know how she got there. She didn't have a family in the area, or a Trainer. She was all alone and I felt sorry for her, so I decide to catch her."

"Very interesting..." Nini replied, rubbing her chin as she focused on Ninetales.

"I know..." Yancy looked down at Ninetales thoughtfully for a brief moment before refocusing on Vivillon. "Anyway, this is Vivi."

Vivillon crooned happily and fluttered over to Serena, landing directly on top of her fedora.

"Wow," Miette said. "Vivillon seems to be fond of Serena."

"Well, that's 'cause she's the daughter of my mom's Vivillon," Yancy replied. "So she views her as a grandma of sorts."

"Wait," Serena said, pausing while she was stroking Vivillon's wing. "So I-" She then remembered that Blanche, Kazalie, and Shulin were present. "My mom has a Vivillon now?"

"Huh? Oh yeah, you- ahem, she does."

Serena raised an eyebrow. "Since when?"

"Since she returned from Hoenn," Yancy replied cryptically. "You didn't know?"

"No. Wow..." The honey-blonde looked back at the Scale Pokémon with wonder. "A Vivillon in my team..."

"Wait, what?" Shulin asked, having seemingly heard Serena's last statement.

Noticing this as well, Yancy acted quickly. "And last, but not least..." She bent down and picked up Spinda, which sported a heart-shaped spot on its forehead. "Ditzy!"

"Awwwww, a Spinda!" Blanche exclaimed, her eyes glimmering with adoration. "It's so cute!"

However, Serena pulled out her Pokédex with curiosity. "A Spinda, huh...?"

The Pokédex activated itself at the sight of the new Pokémon and explained, _**"Spinda, the Spot Panda Pokémon. No two Spinda in the world are said to have identical spot patterns on their fur. Its shaky, tottering steps give the appearance of dancing, and Spinda are capable of using this to confuse opponents."**_

"Ohhhhh, I'm such a huge fan of Spinda!" Blanche squealed, struggling to contain her joy before it bursts over. "I just wanna touch it!"

The blue-haired Performer reached out an index finger to touch it, but the Spot Panda Pokémon immediately cried out in fear and hugged Yancy, burying its face in her chest like a scared infant. Shauna was quick to withdraw her finger out of concern.

"Oh, I'm so sorry!"

"It's okay," Yancy replied as she started stroking Spinda's back. "Ditzy's the newest addition to my team, and he's not exactly comfortable around strangers."

"That sounds a lot like Sylveon when she was still an Eevee," Serena commented.

"Sylvie," Sylveon added, glancing at Spinda with a sympathetic expression.

"Believe it or not, Ditzy was going to participate in his first Showcase before we traveled here. He was very nervous despite all the practicing we did together." Yancy looked at Spinda straight in the eyes. "Hey, Ditzy. We're going to be doing this Showcase, but no one's going to vote for the best Performer. It's all just for fun."

"Spin...?" Spinda replied, tilting his head with confusion.

"Yeah, just for fun! We're still going to perform in front of a big crowd, though, so just try and consider this a warm-up for the real Showcase later on, okay?"

Spinda reluctantly nodded. "S-Spin!"

"So, who're you going to use for the Theme Performance, Yancy?" Nini asked curiously.

"Definitely Flo," the pink-haired girl replied. "She's my lucky charm. Also, I'll have to use Chestnut, since I have no idea how different this Showcases will be. Chestnut may look clumsy but he's quite versatile. He knows how to make the best out of my quick thinking."

"Quill, quill!" Quilladin replied confidently. Then, he shot a glance towards Smoochum and winked seductively at her, but she instantly recoiled at the sight of it.

"I can't wait to see what kind of performances you've got for the crowd!" Serena exclaimed. "I look forward to seeing it, Yancy!"

Yancy looked back at her mother and smiled. "Great! And I look forward to seeing _your_ performances as they happen!" She took a quick glance at Blanche, Kazalie, and Shulin; and when she realized they were now admiring Shauna and Nini's Pokémon, she whispered as an addendum, " _Mom_."

Serena giggled, blushing as she did. " _Mom_... I just can't get enough of that..."

"Speaking of you being the mom," Miette whispered, leaning forward with her usual sly look, "did you ever find out who the _dad_ was, Serena? I recall that being an unresolved issue last time we met..."

Serena felt her heartbeat stop in that very moment. She remembered Miette not being there when Selene outed Ash as her father. The teenager struggled to find the right words to say, so she could gloriously rub it in Miette's face for all the times she had ever embarrassed her...

At the corner of her eye, she saw Yancy, but the other girl wasn't even moving her lips. In fact, she was being fidgety. At first, she didn't know why, but then she remembered how they bonded over Miette's personality, and deduced that Yancy wasn't spilling the beans because she didn't want to contribute in further embarrassing her own mother.

 _"We sure think alike,"_ Serena thought. _"I guess Yancy really looks up to me in the future if she wants me to call my own shots. ...Makes me wonder what I'm really like in the future..."_

" _Hellooooo_ , Serena," Miette said in a singsong voice. "Earth to Serena! I'm waiting for an answer..."

But before Serena could reply, she heard a familiar voice snapping snobbishly, "Out of my way, peasant!"

"EEK!"

Everyone in the dressing room looked towards the doorway, and Serena gagged upon seeing Clarice and her Fletchling. Then, her feeling of revulsion changed into one of shock (and a little satisfaction) when she saw Clarice trip over herself in her surprise and fall pathetically to the marble floor. And then, the feeling of satisfaction quickly faded away when she saw the reason behind Clarice's blunder.

"HA! How embarrassing!" Amelia exclaimed as she towered over Clarice. "Tripping on your own feet and falling like a pile of useless bricks! How uncultured, not to mention _clumsy_! I've never seen such low-class peasantry!" Then, she glared at Clarice's Fletchling as it landed next to its Trainer, in an effort to see if she was alright. "And I see you're going to be using a pathetic little Fletchling. HA! HAHAHA! What good can it do compared to _my_ Pokémon?"

Amelia snapped her fingers, and her Espeon and Shiny Dragonair stepped forward, flanking her sides. Paralyzed in fear, and feeling all of the Performers' eyes on her, Clarice could stare up at her tormentor. At that moment, Serena forgot all about her rivalry with Clarice over Ash's feelings, and could feel nothing but absolute loathing for Amelia now.

"I asked you a question," Amelia said, her voice slow and terrifyingly cold. "What good can your little Fletchling do in a Showcase compared to my purebred Espeon and Dragonair?"

Serena saw Clarice open her mouth for a few seconds and then close it, like a fish in a tank. She looked so scared...and yet, no one seemed to be doing anything to try and stop Amelia. Many of the Performers were looking away and trying to keep their distance. How could anyone decide to be a bystander to this?!

Clenching her fists, Serena stepped forward, followed by her Pokémon.

"HA!" Amelia exclaimed. "Nothing to say, huh? I guess-"

"Hey, leave her alone!" the Vaniville Town native interrupted.

Amelia whipped her head towards Serena's direction. "How _dare_ you interrupt me, you-!" She stopped in mid-sentence, her eyes widening at the sight of Serena, before narrowing into slits. "You again?!"

"Yes, it's me again!" Serena proclaimed. "Now, you leave her alone, Amelia! Picking on others is not proper etiquette for a Performer!"

"Xen!" Braixen barked.

"Sylvie!" Sylveon cried.

"Cham!" Pancham snarled.

Clarice stared at Serena with surprise, but also relief, while Amelia snarled, "How do you think you _are_ , lecturing me on what you believe is Performer etiquette?! If you think we're also supposed to be nice and lovey-dovey to one another, then I'm afraid you've developed a terrible misinterpretation on the world of Pokémon Showcases!"

"I didn't misinterpret anything. It's _you_ with the misinterpretation!"

"YOU DARE?!"

"I see a great opportunity for Performers and their Pokémon to show their beauty to the world together! But you can't do that effectively if you treat your fellow Performers like trash!"

Amelia sneered jeeringly. "It's a _competition_ , you uncultured hillbilly. How else do you think anyone will come out on top of these Showcases?"

" _This_ Showcase doesn't require a winner!" another voice declared. At that moment, Serena realized Yancy had joined her side. "Do you still think your views will get you far here?! And don't forget, _she_ beat _you_ at Fleurrh City! Think about _that_ for a minute!"

Amelia's eyes widened at the reminder of her previous loss, and Serena and Yancy could see her balling up her trembling fists. They feared she might order her Pokémon to attack...or perhaps do the attacking herself. Even her Pokémon were afraid of her possible reaction, stepping away from her apprehensively. But fortunately, Amelia recomposed herself.

"I don't need to hear such drivel from _hillbillies_ ," she growled. "This nonsense isn't worth my precious time." She looked down at Clarice and Fletchling with another sneer. "Be grateful that you have other yokels in your company, peasant. I'm sure you three have a lot of low-class things to do together after I utterly annihilate you all. Now, if you will excuse me, I've got an Exhibition Showcase to prepare for."

She strolled haughtily towards the mirrors at the other end of the dressing room, followed by Espeon and Dragonair. As the trio made their way across the room, other Performers quickly scurried away to make room for them. Upon reaching the mirrors, they found Jessilee, Elma, Kayleigh, Lily, the Honchkrow Performer, the Nidoqueen Performer, the Plusle and Minun Performer, and the Scizor Performer already there.

"Out of the way!" Amelia barked.

"How rude!" Jessilee protested, but she, the other Performers, and their Pokémon were otherwise quick to abandon their positions, leaving the set of mirrors all to Amelia and her Pokémon.

Meanwhile, Serena and Yancy approached Clarice and Fletchling, with the former helping the brown-haired Performer up.

"You...You stood up for me..." Clarice said in a low voice of bewilderment.

"Well..." Serena replied, "I couldn't let her talk down to you like that. No matter what I feel about you."

Clarice pursed her lips and narrowed her eyes, having apparently been reminded about her grudge towards Serena. "D-Don't think this changes anything! I'm-I'm still gonna beat you, a-and I'm still gonna win Ash's heart! And-And there's nothing that you or your..." She examined Yancy for a moment. "Your...Your _sister_ could do to stop me!"

She quickly ran off towards an unoccupied dressing booth, nearly tripping over herself again in the process. Fletchling chirped with concern as it flew after its Trainer, leaving Serena, Yancy, and the former's Pokémon at the doorway.

"Who was that, Mom?" Yancy asked, perplexed. "And...what did she mean when she said she was gonna beat you and win Dad's heart?"

Serena sighed heavily and shook her head. Her thoughts were now reeling from the absolutely unpredictable and high-stakes nature of this Exhibition Showcase. At the corner of her eye, she could see Shauna, Miette, Nini, Blanche, Kazalie, and Shulin joining them.

"It's a really long story..."

* * *

Unbeknownst to Serena, Yancy, or the others, Amelia was keenly watching their group like a hawk. Her hands balled up into fists again as she stared daggers at Serena.

 _"_ _Picking on others is not proper etiquette for a Performer?!"_ she repeated in her mind. _"Who does that hillbilly think she is, Aria?! HA! She's not worthy to be Kalos Queen. Neither is that self-righteous Aria. Nor any of these peasants that surround me like pests. Today I'll show them. I'll show them all! I will, I swear it to you, Uncle!"_

* * *

"Pika!"

"Pichu!"

"Nenene!"

Pikachu, Pichu, and Dedenne scurried down the hallway while the others followed right behind them. Ash, Nate, Calem, Tierno, and Trevor were engaged in a conversation about their recent Pokémon battles. Grace was talking to Layla and Moose about their twins and the future that was ahead of them. Clemont had completely isolated himself socially from the group, and he was determinedly tinkering with his Amazingly Accurate Wristwatch. And as for Selene and Bonnie...

"Will you get off me?" Bonnie asked irritably as she tried to shrug off Selene's arm, which was slung over her shoulders.

"Why?" Selene replied, looking at her aunt with confusion. "You don't want to be friends with me, Young Auntie Bonnie?"

Bonnie stuck her chin up stubbornly. "Not in a gazillion years!"

"But why?!" The raven-haired girl hugged Bonnie tightly with one arm, all while wearing a cheeky smile on her fair face. "We're the bestest of friends in the future!"

"You're very annoying. And too clingy." Bonnie lightly pushed Selene away and held on to her satchel protectively. "And you touched Squishy without my permission!"

"B-But I said I was sorry!"

"Well, there can only be room for one girl who has a rare, powerful, green Pokémon as a best friend!" Bonnie crossed her arms arrogantly, as Squishy poked its gelatinous head out of her satchel. "I'm the hero of this show, not you!"

Selene blinked and tilted her head in confusion. "What are you talking about, Auntie Bonnie...?"

"Biiiii...?" Celebi also tilted its head.

But before Bonnie could reply, she bumped into someone's legs.

"Agh!" the person exclaimed. "Hey, watch it, you little runt!"

"I'm not a runt!" Bonnie snapped defiantly, as she and Squishy looked up at the cantankerous fellow.

It was a man with wavy, neatly-combed green hair with golden streaks, dressed in a sharp olive-green suit with a green-and-yellow-striped tie. He also had yellow eyes that glinted very brightly, giving him a perpetually teary-eyed look, even though he was clearly anything but. There was something about his overall demeanor that gave the two girls, plus Celebi and Squishy, an uneasy feeling. Despite this, Bonnie stood her ground and puffed her cheeks outward at the man.

"Who do you think you're calling a runt?!" she continued. "The only ones who call people runts are those who don't feel so good about themselves, so they have to take it out on others!"

"Yeah, you tell him, Auntie Bonnie!" Selene cried with encouragement.

Bonnie shot her an annoyed look. "I didn't tell you to say anything!"

Meanwhile, the man's eyelid twitched at Bonnie's irksome defiance. "You've got a big mouth on you, you know that, little girl?" he snarled savagely.

"Yeah? What's it to you?" asked Bonnie confidently.

"I hate little girls with big mouths."

"That's not a nice thing to say!" Selene snapped angrily.

"Bi!" Celebi added, while Squishy garbled in agreement.

Bonnie in particular wouldn't have it. "And-And you're a big man with a little brain!"

This set the man off in split-seconds; and Bonnie, Selene, and everyone else in the immediate vicinity were nearly blown away literally by his outburst.

**"YOU _DARE_ INSULT MY INTELLIGENCE?! YOU DARE SAY THAT TO MY _FACE_?! DO YOU LITTLE BRATS HAVE _ANY_ IDEA WHO I AM?!"**

"The loudest man in the world...?" Bonnie asked nonchalantly as she rubbed one of her ears.

" ** _I AM ADAM GLAZING, RIGHTFUL OWNER OF THE BLUE SUNS DELUXE HOTEL CHAIN, YOU PUNY TWITS_!** Oof!"

Someone else had yanked Adam away from Bonnie and Selene with all of the strength they could muster. Bonnie looked up at the person who intervened on their behalf...and smiled happily.

"Daddy!" she cried.

Meyer stared Adam down with an expression that would make Arceus cower in fear like a scared newborn Ponyta. But Adam stood his ground, gritting his teeth at the large electrician.

"And who the f-" the green-haired man began.

"Speak to my daughter like that ever again," Meyer interrupted, his voice low and menacing, "and I'll see to it that you'll rue the day that you did so. So come on." He stepped aside, leaving Bonnie and Selene in Adam's sights. "By all means, continue."

Adam prepared to speak, but he paused upon seeing Meyer's Ampharos joining its Trainer's side, giving him a menacing look of warning. Instead, he pursed his lips and straightened out his suit, all the while making a cursory scan of Meyer's features.

"I don't need to hear such drivel from _hillbillies_ ," he growled.

Meyer's eyelid twitched, but he didn't do anything as Adam turned around and stalked off. As he walked, many people in the area hastily made way for him, fearful of crossing paths with him. Once Adam was gone, Meyer let out a small sigh of relief and turned to face Bonnie and Selene.

"You okay, sweetie?" he asked, referring to Bonnie. "He didn't hurt you, did he?"

Bonnie shook her head. "I'm fine, Daddy," she replied.

"That's good." Then, Meyer noticed Selene for the first time. "And who's your new friend, Bonnie?"

Before she could control herself, Selene cried out excitedly, "GRANDPA!"

...

...

...

...

...

"Say wha...?"

"Dad!" a familiar voice cried.

Everyone looked to see Clemont running up to them, followed by Ash and the others.

"Clemont!" Meyer greeted, his jolly smile back. "How are you?!"

"I-I'm fine," the inventor replied, inwardly dreading the inevitable back-slap that would be powerful enough to knock him to the ground as if a Rock-type attack hit him. "Wh-Wh-What're you _doing_ here?!"

"I've got a friend who works at the Laurier Maison, said he needed some extra hands for this Pokémon Showcase, and I just couldn't say no." Then, he scanned the rest of the group. "I guess you're all here to watch."

"Yep!" Bonnie chirped. "Serena's participating!"

"Serena, huh?" To Clemont's horror, Meyer gave him a mischievous stare. "I bet you're gonna be paying a _whooooole_ lot of attention to her, huh son?"

Poor Clemont was reduced to a stuttering mess for the second time today. To his relief, Selene spoke up.

"But Grandpa! Mommy's marrying _Daddy_ , not Uncle Clemont!"

"Oh yeah, speaking of which..." Meyer pointed a thumb towards Selene. "Who _is_ that girl, and what's her big deal?"

Everyone else looked at Selene, who was looking up at Meyer with an unsatisfied expression. Then, Ash sighed heavily.

"It's a really long story..." he said.

* * *

**Several minutes later**

"Soooooooooo...lemme get this straight... _She's_ from the future?"

Ash nodded. "Uh-huh."

"And she's supposed to be _Ash's_ daughter with Serena..."

"Pretty much, Dad," Clemont replied with relief.

Meyer examined Selene from head to toe. Right now, the little girl was sitting on none other than Ash's lap, much to the surprise of everyone else. She was licking on an ice-cream cone, occasionally sharing the treat with Celebi, Pichu, and even Pikachu. Right now, the entire group was already seated in the auditorium, which was filled with a cacophony of noises coming from the audience. This gave Ash and the others a perfect opportunity to pass Selene and Nate's story on to Meyer without the concern of being eavesdropped.

"I guess it makes sense," the electrician eventually remarked. "The girl looks a little like you, Ash."

"Oh," Ash said. "Thanks, I guess...?"

"It's a shame, though." Meyer started to sulk in his seat. "I was _really_ banking on the possibility of you getting together with Serena, Clemont. You _really_ need to find yourself a pretty girlfriend-"

"I DON'T NEED A GIRLFRIEND, DAD!" Clemont interrupted, his face completely red.

"But you do, Clemont!" whined Bonnie. "You need to have someone who'll take care of you for the rest of your life!"

"Nenene!" Dedenne chirped from his unofficial owner's shoulder.

"He will, Auntie Bonnie," Selene replied consolingly. "He has Auntie Korrina, remember?"

"Oh, yeah," Tierno said. "You mentioned that to us last night."

"K-K-K- _Korrina_...?" Clemont stuttered, an image of the Shalour City Gym Leader flashing across his mind.

"Korrina..." Meyer repeated. "Very strange name, but I do hope she's a nice girl."

"Yeah, she is..." Then, the inventor realized what he said and instantly started backtracking. "I-I mean-"

"Wait a minute, Selene," Calem piped up. "Why do you still call Meyer 'Grandpa', then?"

"He's married to Grandma, how else?" the raven-haired girl replied.

"Wait, what?! He's married to my _mom_?!" Ash exclaimed, shocked and almost disgusted at the thought of it.

"No, Daddy! He's married to my other grandma!" She pointed to Grace. "Her!"

...

...

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...

...

...

...

...

...

...

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...

...

...

...

...

...

...

"Say wha...?" Grace asked blankly.

Then, to her absolute displeasure, she saw Meyer scanning her from head to toe. This time, he didn't have an inquisitive look on his face, just like he did when he examined Selene. Instead, the electrician had a look of surprised pleasure.

"Well, it makes sense," he said. "You _do_ look like my type- OOF!"

Grace had been quick to slap Meyer in the face, leaving a discernible, red, hand-shaped mark on his cheek. "You've got some nerve if you're okay with this so...so _quickly_!"

"What?" Meyer rubbed his cheek, wincing a little at the power Grace had put into the slap. "You're... _not_ okay with it...?"

"WHAT DO YOU THINK?! WHY DON'T YOU ASK YOUR CHEEK, YOU PER-?!"

"Oh, I don't know about _that_ , sis," Layla said teasingly, as she also examined Meyer. "He _does_ look like your type..."

The former jockey looked at her younger sister with a look of affronted outrage. "H-He does?! S-Since when?!"

Layla shrugged. "I dunno. I just notice things. And you've _always_ had a soft spot for _big, strong men_ -"

"I DO NOT!" Grace interrupted.

"Sure you do. When we were younger, you _always_ collected the local firefighter calendars and-"

The former Rhyhorn Racer's eyes widened with horror. "WILL YOU CUT IT OUT, LAYLA?! THE CHILDREN DON'T NEED TO KNOW THIS!"

"What's a...firefighter calendar...?" Bonnie asked, slowly and innocuously.

"Yeah, what is that?" added Selene.

"It's an adult thing, girls," Moose replied. "You'll learn more about it when you grow older."

"But we wanna know about it _now_!" Bonnie and Selene both cried at once.

"Dedenne!" Dedenne squeaked.

"Pichu!" Pichu squeaked as well.

"Bi!" Celebi crooned.

Squishy just chirped.

"Oh, now do you see what you've _done_ , Layle?!" Grace shrieked. "Now you've got the kids all curious!"

"Then why don't you explain it to them?" Layla asked.

"Wh-What?! W-Wh-Why me?!"

" _You're_ the collector."

"I refuse to impart such knowledge to innocent little girls! That's something they should learn for themselves!"

"You sure about that, sis? If I can recall, that strategy led to Serena finding-"

Gritting her teeth, the former jockey clamped her hand over her sister's mouth. "Zip it! What do _you_ know about girls' budding awareness of romance?!" Then, she remembered something and sneered devilishly. "Or would you like me to fill in your _beloved husband_ on your thing for _glasses_?"

"Glasses?" Moose asked, suddenly intrigued. "What's this about glasses, honey?"

To Grace's absolute surprise, Layla calmly replied, "When I was a teen, I had a crush on the local gardener. He wore these cute little rectangular glasses. When he moved away, I just gravitated towards guys who were wearing glasses."

Moose blinked. "But...I don't wear glasses...or contacts, for that matter-"

"That's 'cause I eventually got over my obsession," Layla interrupted. She then glared at Grace with a crafty expression. "Unlike a certain _someone_..."

Grace looked away, her face completely red. Meanwhile, Bonnie started squirming in her seat.

"YAY!" she exclaimed excitedly. "I just realized, I get to have Serena as a big sister!"

"Nenene!" Dedenne squeaked, while Squishy garbled with encouragement.

"Not to mention you get to have Daddy as your brother-in-law!" Selene added.

"Oh yeah, that's right! Since Serena will marry Ash, then that means Ash is my big brother too!"

"Awesome!" Ash cried, smiling at the thought of it. "I've never had any brothers or sisters, so it's great to know that I'll be related to some of my best friends in the future!"

"Pika!" Pikachu added.

"Ash, m-my brother?" Clemont said. Then, he chuckled and rubbed the back of his head. "I-I've never really thought of that possibility, but I like it."

"I hope you treat us well, Ash!" exclaimed Bonnie.

"I will!" Ash cried, as the Pallet Town native clenched a fist in determination. "I promise you, I'll be the best big brother anyone's ever asked for!"

"You'd better!" Meyer said, suddenly leaning towards Ash's direction in order to give him a look of warning. "You'd better not disappoint my children, or you'll hear from me, mark my words!"

Ash chuckled nervously. "Trust me, I won't, Meyer."

"Pika pika," Pikachu added.

Just then, the auditorium suddenly darkened, eliciting a drawn-out "Whoa!" of excitement from the massive audience.

"Oh, looks like the show's about to start!" Trevor exclaimed with anticipation.

"About time..." grumbled Grace, her cheeks comically puffed out.

"Yay, yay, YAY!" Selene cried.

"I can't wait to see what's in store for us!" Nate proclaimed.

Once the auditorium was dark enough, the stage was lit up with a multitude of red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet spotlights, fully revealing it in all of its glory. It was massive, circular, and golden; and the audience was quick to notice the all-too-familiar Poké Ball insignia engraved in the stage floor. There were also three Poké Ball symbols that were engraved across the forefront of the stage.

Hanging above the stage floor, mightily and brilliantly, was a golden chandelier styled after a key-ring and a multitude of Princess Keys that had been given out over the past season. Ash immediately recognized the Coumarine, Dendemille, Anistar, Couriway, and Fleurrh Princess Keys among the many chandelier arms.

Finally, there was a small mezzanine on the stage, with two identical staircases that allowed access to it. This mezzanine was situated over a quaint-looking wall that sported three brown, keyhole-shaped doors. In addition, there was a lone door at the top of the mezzanine, which was colored a peculiar shade of red.

"That's quite a stage," remarked Clemont.

"And the largest I've ever seen, by far," Tierno added.

"Eh, I've seen bigger..." Nate replied.

"Makes me wonder what kind of performances this Showcase has planned for the Performers," Calem said.

"I guess we're about to find out," replied Ash, as he pointed towards the stage. "Look!"

Someone was rising out from a hole in the center of the large Poké Ball insignia, where the button normally should be. He was instantly recognizable with his blue top-hat.

"Bonjour, Pokémon Showcase fanatics and aficionados!" Monsieur Pierre announced with his grand, suave voice. "I am Monsieur Pierre, your host, and I welcome to Kalos' one and only Laurier Maison!"

Upon those words, a massive roar of joy and delight broke out from the audience, proving to be so loud that the walls of the theater seemed to shake. Pierre smiled and held out his arms dramatically, embracing the audience's excitement.

"I thank all of you for coming here today, and for being a wonderful audience during this past season! It matters not if you were present at any of our Showcase Theaters, or if you simply watched from the comfort of your home! In fact, it matters not if you are here right now or are at home watching this! You are all an audience brillant, magnifique! All of our Pokémon Performers here today could not have dazzled the way they did this past season without your unconditional support! As a result, they are all ready and willing to say merci to you all in the only way they know how: through this wonderful, marvelous, _beautiful_ Exhibition Showcase!"

Once again, the crowd roared like an excited, entertained beast. The might of their delight filled the auditorium and even spilled throughout the rest of the Maison. With that, Pierre twirled his signature staff a couple of times before aiming it at the chandelier. At first, Ash and the others believed that it would shoot out his Klefki, like it always did. But then, they noticed that Klefki wasn't inside at all.

Instead, over a dozen Klefki descended from the stage ceiling, responding to Pierre's cue. They sang all at once, filling the auditorium with a soothing melody.

"Whoa, look at all of the Klefki!" exclaimed Nate.

"They're all so-" Bonnie began.

"CUTE!" completed Selene, her eyes shimmering with awe and adoration.

"Pichu-pi!" Pichu squeaked, just as astounded by the show.

Bonnie merely glared at her future niece and pouted at being interrupted.

"Hey, look at what's hanging from all of the Klefki!" Ash said.

Everyone else saw it as well: hanging from each individual Klefki was a Princess Key. But it wasn't just any Princess Key; it was a Princess Key that had been handed out as a prize in past Showcases.

"These Princess Keys were awarded to Performers during the past season as a mark of their achievements, a sign of their progress. But today, there will be no Princess Keys as a prize. I repeat, je répète, there will be no Princess Key. There will also be no voting with Glow Casters, or any of the other earmarks of a Rookie Class competition. Instead, this Showcase will demonstrate how far these Performers have come since the start of the season. We have followed them since the very beginning, and we shall see how truly grown they've become since then."

* * *

Serena, Yancy, Shauna, Miette, Nini, Blanche, Kazalie, and Shulin watched Pierre's opening announcement on the TV. As he talked, Serena and Yancy looked at each other and smiled determinedly.

* * *

Amelia was also observing the opening announcement, and she smirked malevolently.

* * *

Clarice, Sara Lee, and Concetta were all watching as well, all the while waiting determinedly for the Showcase to begin.

* * *

Aria and Palermo oversaw the opening announcement from the safety of an upper-floor balcony in the auditorium. Aria was smiling softly, while Palermo silently observed with her usual serious look.

* * *

On another balcony, Adam watched Pierre as well, all the while yawning with boredom and checking his wristwatch.

* * *

Ash and the others listened to Pierre's speech as they waited with eager anticipation.

* * *

"And now..." Pierre twirled his staff again. "Let the long-awaited Exhibition Showcase...COMMENCE!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And...FINISH!
> 
> So we finally meet up with Clemont and Bonnie's father Meyer, whose subplot is yet another transplant from the original "Way We Will Be" fic that was deleted. It looks like Grace has yet to warm up to him, though. But we'll see if she starts singing a different tune by the end of the fic. XD
> 
> Also, every last unnamed Performer that I described is NOT an OC. If any of you don't recognize any of them, they DID appear in a Showcase episode. Yes, I did painstaking research on the unnamed Performers too. Now THAT'S commitment, am I right? XP
> 
> Well, hope you enjoyed this chapter! TheCartoonFanatic01 is out. PEACE!


	15. The Jaw-Breaking Jailbreak

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I put in an "Avengers: Infinity War" reference in this chapter. Let's see if you can spot it. ;)

**Kiloude Jail  
** **The outskirts of Kiloude City**

"Get in there, you scum."

The unkempt-haired, poorly-dressed, smelly man nearly stumbled and fell as he was shoved into the cramped jail cell. It smelled just as badly as him, and the only source of light was coming from the lamp that hung from its ceiling.

At that moment, the man spotted who he assumed to be his cellmate. It was an intimidating-looking man man with a startlingly muscular build; sharp, beady eyes; and blond hair cut in a buzz-cut style. He was also wearing military-style clothing consisting of a tight-fitting, white tank-top; a light, jungle-camouflage jacket; jungle-camouflage pants with a thick brown belt; and dark-brown combat boots.

"Uhhhhh..." the first man said slowly, "who's this...?"

"Your newest friend," the guard spat as he slid the iron-barred door shut and locked it. "You two get along now, or you'll be thrown into solitary."

The man warily scanned his cellmate from head to toe. All the while, he couldn't help but feel tense and uneasy. Sure, he had been in the company of stronger men in the past. But there was something about this particular man that told him he was bad news. Whoever he was, he was beyond his league, and there was no telling what would happen if he was crossed in any way.

"Ummmmm," the criminal said, "can I have a different cell?"

"No can do," the guard replied as he spun his keys around on his index finger. "We're at maximum occupancy now."

The criminal frowned flatly. "I saw a bunch of empty cells on the way here..."

...

"Like I said. We're at maximum occupancy. Enjoy your stay, and next time, think about all the poor Pokémon that would suffer without Max Potions and Full Heals."

The guard started walking away, whistling a catchy tune as he strolled along. In outrage, the criminal grabbed the iron bars and called out angrily, "Hey! You get back here! HEY! This is cruel and unusual punishment, I tell you!"

But he no longer got a reply. Once the guard's whistling faded away into the distance, and the only noises in the small block of cells were other inmates lounging around, the criminal turned around and faced his newest companion.

"Y-Yo..." he greeted.

The man narrowed his eyes at him, and the criminal feared he had already irked his cellmate in some way. An awkward and almost deathly silence fell upon the cell for a few seconds. The criminal tried to check, from the corner of his eyes, for anything in the cell that he could use to defend himself. If only he had his Mightyena with him...

"Hello there," the other man finally replied.

The criminal felt immense relief filling up his chest like water being poured into a well, though he refused to show it to his cellmate. He calmly asked, "So, uh...what're you in here for?"

Again, a deathly silence for a few seconds. Then...

"I tried to capture a Celebi and utterly annihilate the children that are the bane of my existence. But I failed." However, the muscular man grinned deviously. "Fortunately, however, this cell will not hold me for long. No cell can hold me. When I get out, I will get my revenge on those accursed children. I will make them cry and writhe. I shall see to it that they regret all the times they meddled in my affairs. And then, I'll get that Celebi and make it suffer for the ridiculous debacle that it forced me to endure. I'll break it. And _then_ , I'll force it to take me back to my original timeline, find my client, and get paid a considerable sum of money. And _this time_ , no one will stop me. _No one_."

...

...

...

"...Oh," the first man replied. "...Okay. ...Cool. ...Sounds awesome. I mean, I thought you were in here for stealing from some Poké Marts, but that's cool too. ...I guess."

In his mind, the criminal was thinking, _"Well, that's just great. This guy's absolutely_ bonkers _! ...I'm doomed."_

* * *

Outside the jail, three vans pulled up in front of the building, catching the attention of the two patrolling guards. One of them approached the van in the lead and tapped at its window, prompting the driver to lower both front windows.

"Can I help you, sir?" he asked.

Nick Nigaud smiled innocently as he replied, "Yeah, we received a report that the air ventilation system in your building has been faulty for some time recently. We're here to fix it."

The other guard blinked with confusion and said, "I didn't really notice anything different inside."

"Oh, you can trust us, sir. We're professionals! We know when there's something amiss, even if guys like you can't."

"I don't know about this..." the first guard replied hesitantly. He began to reach for his walkie-talkie. "Let me check with Officer Jenny-"

"Oh, she's probably out there, doing _very_ important policewoman work right now!"

"There's an Exhibition Showcase going on, after all," Sid Malin added from the passenger seat.

"Yeah, yeah, that's right! She's probably over there, making sure no one's getting all rowdy and too hyped up for all the Performers!" Nick patted the first guard's shoulder and gave him the cheekiest smile ever. "I don't think you should be bothering her with minor stuff such as this!"

"I don't know..." the second guard replied reluctantly. "I _really_ did not feel a difference inside-"

"Oh, I don't know about that, man," the first guard interrupted. "I _did_ get a little sweaty."

"That's because you've been out here, patrolling under the hot sun for over an hour!"

"Hey!" Nick interjected. "Your friend reports being sweaty on the job! In my book, this requires a little _investigating_!" He looked at Sid and the other passengers. "Let's start working, everyone!"

"Y-You really don't have to-" began the second guard.

But it was already too late. Having made up their minds to get to work, everyone in the first two vans got out, carrying heavy and grimy toolboxes, and many of them went inside, while the remaining couple went over to the back of the jail building. The two guards didn't have time to check what those people would be doing, or why the third van was there, as they followed Nick and his crew into their workplace.

"Do you know where you're even going?" the second guard asked as he watched Nick and his group sign in with the fat, bored secretary.

"Of course we do!" Floyd Minable exclaimed, smiling optimistically at him.

"Are you sure? I think you're gonna next to do some digging, and you'll need a permit for that-"

"Don't worry about that," Nick interrupted. "We've perfected a method that doesn't require any dirty work!"

The guard raised his eyebrow. " _Really_?"

"Of course! You can trust us, sir. We're professionals!"

"You all may enter..." droned the secretary, as the last of Nick's crew was finished signing in.

The crew started to quickly proceed into the cell block, uncomfortable clanking and jangling sounds emanating from their toolboxes. The two guards prepared to follow them inside when Floyd and Lloyd turned around and motioned for them to stop in their tracks.

"You might wanna stay out here for this, sir," Floyd said.

"Yeah, there's still gonna be a lot of dust being kicked up there," added Lloyd.

"And who knows what kind of dangerous and toxic materials are in those walls?"

"In a place like this, I'd be surprised if we don't find a Muk lurking around."

"Are-Are you sure about that?" the first guard asked.

"We might be of assistance-" began the second guard.

"There's no reason to worry, sirs," Nick interrupted, smiling his corny, bright smile as he ushered the last of his men into the block. "You can trust us. We're professionals!"

"That's the third time you said that!"

...

"Well, take my word for it and let us do our work undisturbed."

"O-Okay..." replied the first guard.

"Alright! Now, we'll call you over if we need anything. Au revoir!"

With that, Nick, Floyd, and Lloyd walked through the doorway, with Floyd closing the door behind him. This left the two guards all alone in the small, dusty lobby, with the unpleasant-looking secretary. There was a stunned silence in the air for a few seconds.

" _Well_..." the first guard said, "that was..."

"Unexpected," completed his partner.

"Do you think they'll be alright in there? There's a whole bunch of prisoners with them."

"Well, the guy _did_ keep saying they were professionals."

"Yeah, that's true. Within three minutes, might I add!"

"Mm-hm. They know what they're doing."

"I guess so! This place is in desperate need of an improved AC system anyway." With that, the guard twirled his plastic baton. "Let's get back on patrol, shall we?!"

"Alright, let's!" his partner exclaimed.

The two proceeded to step out the front door, failing to check the blatantly unintelligible scrawls Nick's crew used to sign themselves in.

* * *

Parker calmly continued to sit on the cell's bunk-bed, ignoring the movements of his neurotic, idiotic cellmate. He closed his eyes and mused on recent events.

He had been in a prison cell many times before. So many times, in fact, that he had grown accustomed to all the sights, sounds, scents, and sensations associated with them. He could even distinguish the _taste_ of a prison cell. It didn't matter what kind of cell they threw him. It didn't matter if it was low-quality or heavily secured or even in a different timeline. A prison cell was a prison cell, nothing more, nothing less.

And that suited Parker just fine. After all, every jail in the world was penetrable in some form or fashion. It didn't matter what kind of security system they touted, just to discourage any breaks from the inside or outside. He would _always_ find a way out. He would have made _billions_ as a professional security system-breaker. This jail was like a hotel room to him, and he would treat it as such until his loyal Pokémon came to break him out.

...

But what _didn't_ suit Parker was the circumstances that led to his latest arrest: Nate Gray.

That boy and his friends, and all of their Pokémon, were ALWAYS a nuisance, a thorn in his side. Back in his timeline, for several months, they have always found ways of meddling in his affairs, and those of his respected colleagues. Even the rarest of Pokémon could rely on them for their safety. Many potential paychecks were lost because of them. And there was nothing he could do to solve the problem. He couldn't even avoid them by traveling back in time. Good Arceus, he even took Nate's life once, and the target revived him with some stupid mythical power! It was unbelievable!

Maybe it was genetic. After all, he knew that some of those kids were the children of Ash Ketchum and Clemont Lem, two of the most famous Pokémon philanthropists. The criminal underworld would have a severe headache at the thought of them and their network of friends.

Even then, the EHS, compared to their counterparts, was always one step ahead of Ash and his worthless friends. Nate and his crew, on the other hand, were a different story altogether. It was totally perplexing to Parker. How could they, a group of highly skilled Pokémon Poachers with the world in their hand, be constantly losing to a bunch of _kids_?!

It was unacceptable!

 _"When I get out of here,"_ Parker thought, _"I'm going to find those kids and make sure they never interfere with me and my affairs again. I will not allow them to thwart me any longer!"_ He then looked up at the lamp that was the only source of lighting in his cell. _"What is taking them so long?"_

"Hey, you!" a voice piped up.

Parker and his cellmate looked towards the door and saw a group of people standing on the other side of it. They were all wearing grimy orange jumpsuits and carrying heavy-looking toolboxes. The apparent leader was small and rotund, sporting small, tufted orange hair; this, plus his orange clothes and cheeky smile, gave him an overall resemblance to a Dedenne, much to Parker's amusement.

"Which one of you is the guy who trashed the city square last night with that flipping awesome robot?" the Dedenne-like man asked.

"...That'll be me..." Parker replied hesitantly, unsure why he was asking.

"Oh, so _you're_ the guy?" The Dedenne-like man scanned the poacher from head to toe before smiling again. "Yeah, you look totally cool! You're definitely gonna be useful!"

Parker blinked, unsure of where this was going. "I'm sorry, are you giving out free tickets or something?"

"Oh, where are my manners?!" The man gestured to himself. "My name is Nick Nigaud, and I am the presentator-"

"Representative," corrected one of the other men, who had a large tuft of blue hair covering one side of his face.

"Representativor of Adam Glazing! I'm sure you've heard of him?"

"No," Parker replied bluntly.

"Yeah, I wouldn't have heard of him either. Anyway, he wants us to bust you outta here. He has a job offer that I'm sure you won't refuse."

"With all due respect, I refuse this job offer."

Nick blinked with a little surprise, then he confidently replied, "Well, it's a job offer that you won't refuse a second time-"

"I refuse."

...

...

...

"A third ti-"

"I refuse."

"Look, we're still busting you out, alright?!" Nick let out a sigh of irritation and clutched at his hair. "Aw man, I was trying to look so cool and all that stuff and you just had to _ruin_ it for me! Just-Just stay back from the door and let us do our work!" He glared at his colleagues. "Come on, guys, let's go, let's go!"

"Wh-Wh-What about me?" stuttered Parker's cellmate, as he clutched at the bars of the cell door. He looked extremely enthusiastic at the prospect of getting out of his cell...or away from Parker. "A-Are you busting _me_ out?"

"You?" Nick asked. He scanned the man briefly before replying, "I guess so. You're in with him, after all. So that must make you cool, right?"

"Oh, you betcha I'm cool, man! I'm as cool as an Articuno and a Kyurem combined!" The criminal immediately went into a comically exaggerated martial arts pose. "I've got some sweet karate moves! No one can see me coming! I can dodge _anything_ that's thrown my way!"

A split-second later, the wall behind Parker and his cellmate exploded, startling Nick and his crew. A large chunk of it was sent flying at the criminal's direction, but he didn't even have time to process what just happened. The slab crushed the hapless man between the iron-barred door, knocking him out. Parker, who wasn't the least bit startled by the explosion, merely stood up, dusted his pants, and looked down at his cellmate condescendingly.

"Well, you sure dodged that," he said.

Then, he, Nick, and the others stared through the gaping hole in the wall, just as a Trevenant lumbered through it and bowed its head at Parker. However, the Pokémon Poacher frowned sternly and crossed his arms.

"Where in Arceus's name where you?!" he demanded harshly. "You and Chesnaught are three hours and 36 minutes off schedule! What were you two doing, goofing off in the forest?!"

Trevenant shook its head and handed Parker a silver, futuristic beacon that was blinking a green light. The burly man's eyes widened at the sight of it, and he grinned. As he did, Nick and his crew could hear the sounds of guards and their Pokémon shouting and roaring in the background.

"Uhhhhh..." Nick said slowly, "what's going on...?"

Parker stuffed the beacon into his pocket and turned around to look at Nick and his crew.

"I appreciate your, uh... _efforts_ to break me free," he replied, "but as you can see, I have everything already taken care of."

Another split-second later, the door that led into the cell block exploded open, with guards and Pokémon skidding across the floor. A Chesnaught then stomped into the block, a Great Ball clutched in one of its hand, and a wristwatch and a pair of sunglasses in the other hand. Nick and his crew were quick to deduce that Chesnaught and Trevenant were both Parker's Pokémon.

"Uh, is there anything we can do?" Nick asked, wanting to feel useful.

Parker kept his eyes focused on Chesnaught as it approached his cell door. Nick and his crew stepped out of the way to give the Spiny Armor Pokémon more room. They then watched as it punched a hole into the handle of the door, allowing it to be slid open with ease.

"Yes," Parker replied distantly, as he retrieved his Great Ball, wristwatch, and sunglasses from Chesnaught, "and that's to stay out of my way."

"O-O-Okay-" But then, Nick fully processed the poacher's words. "W-Wait a minute, what?! D-Don't you need a-any help with _anything_?!"

"You should be counting your blessings." Parker placed the sunglasses on top of his head. "It's a policy of mine to take out any witnesses."

Nick's skin paled, while the blue-haired man snapped with exasperation, "Aw, come on, man! After all that we've _done_ for you?! D'you have _any_ idea how long and how hard we planned for this event?!"

Parker shot his would-be assistants an intimidating glare that silenced any further outrage from them. "I do not presume to know the specifics behind your planning, but obviously, it all amounted to nothing." He then looked down at his wrist, taking the time to put on his weaponized wristwatch. "Am I right?"

Before Nick or anyone else could answer, another voice shouted, "KILOUDE POLICE! FREEZE!"

The local Officer Jenny ran into the cell block, flanked by her Manectric, which was menacingly sparking off small volts of electricity in preparation for the impending battle. Right behind her were about a half-dozen other cops and their own Pokémon: a Machamp, a Hitmonlee, a Hitmonchan, a trio of Houndoom, a Magnezone, and a pair of Venomoth. Upon spotting their arrival, Chesnaught and Trevenant went into defensive postures, while Parker slapped his sunglasses over his eyes and activated their high-tech lenses.

"STAY RIGHT WHERE YOU ARE!" Jenny shouted, pointing at Parker while Manectric barked viciously.

"I don't have time for this," the poacher replied. He raised his hand and snapped fingers.

Nick and his crew ducked when all of the windows in the block suddenly shattered. Then, swarms of Hoppip, Skiploom, and Jumpluff flooded into the building.

"It's an ambush!" warned Jenny, as Manectric started shooting off Thunderbolts at the descending Cottonweed Pokémon.

However, the Hoppip, Skiploom, and Jumpluff were all quick to act on their training procedures. Dodging the attacks of Manectric and the other police Pokémon, they all sprayed out multiple blankets of Sleep Powder, filling the block within seconds. Jenny, her colleagues, their Pokémon, and even the other inmates in the block began coughing and collapsing to the poorly-cleaned floor, rendered unconscious.

Nick and his crew instinctively covered their noses and mouths, while Chesnaught and Trevenant stepped through the hole in Parker's cell. As for Parker himself, he pressed a button on his sunglasses, causing them to transform into a gas mask. He surveyed the cell block for a few moments to make sure no one was still conscious, before following his two Pokémon out of his cell and into the forest outside. The Hoppip, Skiploom, and Jumpluff floated around the expansive room for a minute, also making sure everyone was unconscious, before departing the way they came in.

The group wandered deeper and deeper into the forest for a few minutes. Once the jail was no longer in sight, Parker, Chesnaught, and Trevenant stopped, with the former deactivating his gas mask feature and leaning against a tree.

"Well, that was easy," he remarked to himself.

"You could say that again!" Nick suddenly wheezed. He and the rest of their cohorts stumbled out of the bushes, nearly startling Chesnaught and Trevenant in the process. Many of them held their knees, panting and sweating profusely, while a couple of them collapsed to the ground in immense relief.

His eyes widening, Parker instinctively aimed his wristwatch at them. "You worthless imbeciles seem to _love_ asking for trouble, don't you?!"

"Trouble's my middle name!" The rotund man then suddenly collapsed to his knees. "Hoo boy, that was quite a run!"

"You don't seem to be aware of what you got yourselves into-"

"Listen here, tough guy," Nick interrupted, "we know you're here trying to get something."

Parker's eyes narrowed with suspicion. He didn't know if they were aware of his time-traveling situation, or the fact that there was a Celebi in Kiloude City. It didn't look like it, given how incompetent this unlikely group seemed. Either way, he did NOT want them to get their hands on Celebi. Not when he was already hired by someone else to snatch it for her.

He slowly began readying his wristwatch for maximum efficiency, all the while snarling slowly, "Keep talking..."

"But obviously you can't get the job done!" Nick held out his arms questioningly. "Why do you think that is?!"

"I don't know." Parker continued surreptitiously readying the watch. "Enlighten me."

"Because you don't have any help!"

The poacher stopped mid-movement. "Come again?"

"We saw how you were ganged up on by those kids!"

"...Did you now?"

"Uh-huh! It's all over the news! And even with those fancy gadgets and strong Pokémon of yours, you still couldn't win over them! The only way you can even the odds against them or anyone else is to have people like _us_ by your side. Like they say, strength in numbers! Or, in this case, strength in _more_ numbers."

Parker blinked slowly with suspicion. "I'm a bit... _hesitant_ including people like you in my company-"

"You can trust us, man! We're professionals!"

"That's _exactly_ what I'm worried about."

But Parker realized that this Nick Nigaud character had a point. He couldn't hold his own against the likes of Nate Gray and his friends, and even a young Ash Ketchum! For some reason, their willpower was stronger than his. It always was. If he was going to return to his original timeline with Celebi in hand, then he needed to pursue a new strategy. One that would be enough to overwhelm those meddlesome children, beat them down, leave them exhausted long enough for the Time Travel Pokémon to be up for grabs...

Nick and his cohorts may not be the EHS, but if they were so eager to help him out, then perhaps they could be of use...

All of a sudden, the poacher remembered the beacon that Trevenant gave him. He pulled it out of his pocket and stared deeply into its blinking green light. He narrowed his eyes at it as he started to think of a new plan.

"If I may ask," one of Nick's associates piped up, "what is _that_ supposed to be?"

Parker looked up and replied, "A beacon."

"Oh cool, a beacon," Nick said. "Uhhhhh...what's a beacon...?"

"It's something that'll guide me to my leader. She's somewhere in this area..."

"You mean out here?" The Dedenne-like man looked around, examining the surrounding trees and vegetation. "Dude, I don't know about you, but this forest goes out for, like, miles and miles! How are we supposed to find your leader in this maze?"

"Like you said, I have fancy gadgets." Parker made his choice and deactivated his wristwatch. "It looks like we got off on the wrong foot." He gave them a friendly smile. "You may call me Parker."

"Ooh, awesome!" Nick shot up on his feet, while his accomplices looked relieved at finally having their way. "Does that mean we're joining forces?!"

Parker's smile widened a little. "Yes. We're joining forces."

 _"Until we recover Kay and Celebi, that is. After_ that _, I'll be sure to destroy you all."_

"Cool!" Nick proceeded to gave a few of his cohorts high-fives. He then tried to give Parker a high-five, but the poacher did not reciprocate the gesture. "O-Okay! So, let's call it a day, guys!"

"Yeah, I'm wiped," one man replied.

"I'm in desperate need of some orange slices," remarked another.

"Wait a minute, what in the world do you mean 'call it a day'?" Parker suddenly asked, his sharp eyes narrowed again. "My leader is out there, and she might be injured! If you're going to help me, then I suggest you all get to work!"

"Yeah, uhhhhh..." Nick replied hesitantly, "I'm concerned for your leader too, Parker, I really am. But let's not forget that we _just_ broke you out of jail-"

"I escaped on my own."

"Potato, patato." Nick stuck up his index finger, looking like an insufferable know-it-all in that moment. "Look, my point is, they're gonna start scouring through the forest right away, because that's the first place we're gonna run to! And we are too tired to fight back."

"I'm not."

"But there'll be too much heat, man! If they find us, they're gonna put everything they've got into catching us! And I, for one, do NOT wanna go to jail. I'm too pretty for that!" He dramatically paused for a moment to lovingly caress his own face. "What we gotta do now is wait till things settle down. _Then_ we'll go looking for your leader."

Parker grumbled incomprehensibly to himself, realizing that Nick had a point once again, despite him clearly being slow. Being twenty years in the past clearly wasn't doing wonders to his luck.

"I guess you're correct..." he mumbled angrily.

"Well, of course I am!" Nick replied dramatically. "I didn't start up my own construction company for nothing, you know! Anyway, I have a place where we can crash in the meantime. Adam will be meeting us in an hour. We'll fill him in, he'll fill you in on his job offer, we will do each other's dirty work, and then we can end the day as happy campers!"

Just then, the group heard a screeching sound in the distance, growing closer by the second. Parker then watched with surprise as a van with faded, unintelligible decals burst through the bushes and violently skidded to a stop. Its side-door slid open, revealing even more of Nick's associates.

"Come on, guys!" one man shouted. "Let's get going!"

"They're already sending out their best fuzz!" another added.

Indeed, everyone could hear police sirens in the distance. Nick and his cohorts were quick to jump into the van and then looked at Parker, whose expression was one of blatant ambivalence, not to mention concern for his own well-being. The typically no-nonsense poacher couldn't believe he was feeling those feelings, but then again, who wouldn't after seeing those driving skills?!

"Come on, man!" Nick called. "We're not gonna get anywhere if you just stand there like a tree!"

Parker sighed angrily and spat out, "Fine." Then, he raised an index finger. "But I will emphasize that we're _not_ a team. This alliance is only temporary. Agreed?"

"Yes, yes, of course. Now, get in, man!"

Parker sighed again, knowing that he was going to regret his decision with every passing second. Nevertheless, the man surrendered to the circumstances of the situation, returning Chesnaught and Trevenant before hopping into the van. One of Nick's associates closed the door behind him, and then the driver sped off, leaving a trail of upturned grass and earth in his wake.

As the van continued blazing through the forest, back towards Kiloude City, Parker smiled, making sure it went unnoticed by his self-proclaimed helpers. Even if this turn of events was a mixed bag for him, he knew that the final reward will be all worth it.

* * *

Summer gritted her teeth and slammed her foot down on the brakes, causing her jeep to skid to a stop. Her passenger, a male Ranger with slicked blue hair and a beard, nearly fell out of the jeep in the process, but he held on tight to the side-door and his own seat, keeping himself secured. Once the jeep fully stopped, Summer quickly got out and ran up to Officer Jenny, followed by her associate.

The first thing she saw was all of the guards and Pokémon being treated by Nurse Joy and her Wigglytuff. Jenny looked on, and her lips were pursed in a bid to contain her outrage.

"What in the world happened here?!" Summer called, catching the blue-haired policewoman's attention. "You said there was a situation at the jail!"

"There was..." Jenny replied, her expression turning glum.

Summer felt her heart drop to her stomach. "Don't tell me..."

"Only one prisoner escaped." Jenny's amber-colored eyes narrowed. "The one who was involved in last night's incident."

"Good Arceus, no..." Summer's associate breathed out.

"How is that possible?!" exclaimed Summer. "You told me he was not going anywhere!"

"Unfortunately, he had Pokémon out there, waiting for the right moment to strike."

"Lemme guess...a Chesnaught and a Trevenant?"

Jenny nodded. "Yes. That was them. They took out a number of my men." She glanced at her bruised and beaten fellow officers. "I was told that they were very powerful. And he also had many Hoppip, Skiploom, and Jumpluff with him."

"Hoppip, Skiploom, and Jumpluff?" Summer stifled a laugh, unable to imagine a tough-looking guy like Parker being in possession of innocent and upbeat Pokémon like them. "Are-Are you sure about that?"

"Yes, I'm sure. They took out the rest of my men with Sleep Powder. It was all coordinated. ...And that's not all." Jenny looked back at Summer, her face hardened with seriousness. "Ranger Summer, Ranger Rand, it seems that this Parker fellow has _human_ associates."

Summer's eyes widened with surprise. She remembered Selene telling her that Parker had a cohort who was likely also in the same timeline. But, judging by what Jenny told her, it appeared that there were multiple Trainers involved in the jailbreak. Something wasn't adding up.

"What do you mean he has human associates?" she asked.

"Before the attack occurred," Jenny replied, "a construction crew stopped by at the jail, claiming there was a faulty air-conditioning system and they were summoned to fix it."

"But the AC system was just fine."

"Yes." Jenny gritted her teeth. "Unfortunately, two idiots under my employment fell for it and let them in."

Suddenly, Summer's colleague, Rand, spoke up. "Wait a minute, did they sign in?" he asked.

Summer suddenly felt a surge of hope filling inside her. "Yes, did they?!" she added. "It could provide us with a lead!"

The policewoman raised the sign-in sheet, and the Pokémon Ranger's heart fell again.

"Tell me if you can make out this grade school-level writing."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Unfortunately, ladies and gentlemen, this marks the end of this chapter, thus making it one of the shorter ones.
> 
> I had been thinking about having this chapter depict the first few competitors during the Exhibition Showcase's Theme Performance. But I ultimately decided to settle for a shorter chapter that showed Parker's escape from prison and the intersection of his and Adam's story arcs. I thought I needed more time to refresh myself on Pokémon Showcase rules, as well as finalize what I want for the Exhibition Showcase.
> 
> So yeah, I'm afraid I am going to have to leave you guys hanging a little longer in regards to the Exhibition Showcase. But fortunately, the next chapter is where everything Showcase-related truly kicks off, so hold on to your popcorn and Glow Casters for that, y'all!
> 
> Well, hope you enjoyed this chapter! TheCartoonFanatic01 is out. PEACE!


	16. Quizzical Onstage Showdown

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the delay, everyone. I've been very busy at school, and my workload's quite a pain, to be honest. Alright, on with the chapter! ENJOY!
> 
> P.S.: Did you guys hear about the new Pokémon anime saga that's coming out in a couple of months. I still have mixed feelings about its concept, but I'll try it out, see how it goes.

**Laurier Maison  
Kiloude City**

Serena, Yancy, Shauna, Miette, Nini, Blanche, Kazalie, Shulin, and all of their Pokémon watched the TV set as Monsieur Pierre twirled his staff around in the air. They held their breaths, anticipating the Showcase host's announcement of the Theme Performance. Given the nature of the Exhibition Showcase, it could be _anything_...

 _ **"Now,"**_ Pierre announced, _**"the Theme Performance for this special Exhibition Showcase**_ **is _..."_**

A panel suddenly opened up in the floor, right next to him, and a human-sized carnival wheel rose from underneath. At the same time, a gargantuan TV screen lowered itself directly above the stage. Once both the wheel and the TV stopped moving, the TV activated itself, boasting a live, HD feed of the wheel to the audience.

Serena's blue eyes widened at the sight of the wheel. Thanks to the enlarged live feed on the TV screen above the stage, she knew it wasn't just any other carnival wheel. All of the options written on each square were the Theme Performances of past Pokémon Showcases, including all of the ones she participated in. Pokémon Styling. Poké Puff Baking. Pokémon Quiz. Poké Puff Performance. Rhyhorn Herding. There were also a few that she didn't recognize at all, such as Pokémon Rescue and Pokémon Compatibility Test; she hoped she wouldn't have to land any of those ones.

_**"Absolutely random!"** _

**"WHAT?!"** exclaimed more than a few Performers in the dressing room.

"Well, this oughta be interesting..." remarked Miette.

 _ **"For every round,"**_ continued Pierre as he smiled gleefully, _**"each trio of Pokémon Performers will compete in a different, randomly selected Theme Performance, all of them taken from the Pokémon Showcases of the past season! And how will each Theme Performance be assigned, you ask? The answer is simple!"**_

Pierre approached the carnival wheel, placed a gloved hand on it, and spun it, blending the differently colored squares into a fascinating, dizzying mix. The audience gasped collectively with excitement, their eyes entranced by the spinning wheel.

_**"As you can see, I spin this wheel, and once it stops, there will be an arrow pointing to an individual Theme Performance. Obviously, that will become the assigned Theme Performance for the round!"** _

* * *

Up on their personal upper-floor balcony, Aria and Palermo observed intently as the carnival wheel continued to spin.

"Randomly selected Theme Performances per trio of Performers, huh?" Aria remarked, smiling. "I'm quite impressed."

"I've seen better," Palermo replied dismissively, her voice monotone in its seriousness. "But hopefully this unpredictable format is all that it takes to keep the Performers straight on their toes. This _is_ still a Showcase, after all."

Aria looked at her teacher. "Always the serious one, aren't you, Palermo?"

"Whenever the quality of the Performers and their performances is concerned, then yes."

* * *

A few seconds later, the wheel finally slowed to a stop, and the arrow was pointing at a blue square. Pierre took a quick look at it before smiling and glancing back at the audience.

_**"And the first Theme Performance is...Pokémon Quiz!"** _

"Pokémon Quiz, huh?" Nini replied, an eyebrow raised. "I remember that one back in Anistar City."

 _ **"But before we begin, I must add, mon public!"**_ Pierre declared. **_"To ensure certain Performers do not have an unfair advantage over others based on past experiences, all the Theme Performances have been tweaked! Therefore, these will not be completely the same Theme Performances that they have competed in for this past season!"_**

"Huh," Shauna said. "So we're gonna be seeing a couple of new things in our Theme Performances. This should be very interesting..."

At that moment, the door to the dressing room opened, and a woman stuck her head inside.

"Nini?" she called. "Concetta? Odette? You three are up first."

"Okay!" replied Nini, Concetta, and the Performer with the Swanna, all at the same time.

Once the woman withdrew her head and closed the door behind her, Serena chuckled.

"Wow," she remarked. "Looks like you're doing the Pokémon Quiz again, Nini."

"Yeah, I guess so," replied the rotund Performer as she smiled confidently. "But fortunately, I did quite a lot of research in preparation of this moment. I think I'm gonna pass this with flying colors! No more wrong guesses!"

"Remember," Miette piped up, wagging her index finger, "this isn't a formal competition! This is just for fun!"

Nini simply rolled her eyes with sarcasm. "Yes, yes, of course, Mom." Then, she noticed the Swanna Performer, Odette, walking towards the door with her signature Pokémon, followed by Concetta and her Scraggy; the former had just tried unsuccessfully to get Sara Lee to wish her good luck. "Alright, time for me to shine!" She looked down at her Farfetch'd. "You did well in the quiz, dear, so it looks like you're with me on this one again!"

"Farfetch'd!" the Wild Duck Pokémon quacked.

"Good luck, Nini!" called Serena as her friendly rival already started to leave.

"Yeah, good luck, Auntie Nini!" Yancy added with excitement.

Nini stopped, turned around, and did a brief curtsy at the others before following Concetta and Odette out the room. As soon as they were gone, Blanche, Kazalie, and Shulin suddenly glared at Yancy.

"Hey, Pinkie..." Shulin said with suspicion, "excuse me for asking, but...why'd you call Nini 'Auntie'?"

"Yeah, what's up with that?" asked Kazalie.

Yancy's face immediately became so pale that she seemed to glow, which automatically reinforced the suspicions of her newfound friends. Realizing her future daughter made a terrible slip-up, Serena struggled to come up with a reasonable excuse. However, as her mind strained to think of a solution, Shauna already seemed to reach one.

"She has an aunt who's also named Nini!" the tan girl blurted out. "Yancy tends to mix 'em up."

"Oh," Blanche replied. At first, she did not seem convinced. But then, her lips curved into her usual bright and optimistic grin. "That makes sense!"

"Must be pretty awkward if both Ninis are in the same room together..." Kazalie commented.

"An aunt also named Nini..." remarked Shulin; she still looked a little unconvinced by Shauna's claim. "If you say so..."

Meanwhile, Miette looked at Serena's direction, the ever-so-familiar glint back in her eye.

"Speaking of family members..." she said slyly. "You _still_ didn't answer my question, Serena."

Serena instantly blushed and replied, "N-N-Not now, Miette! Not in front of..."

Her voice trailed off, but she surreptitiously pointed her head towards Blanche, Kazalie, and Shulin. Though she realized what she meant, Miette continued to smile mischievously.

"Alright, Serena. If you insist. But you can't avoid my question forever." The blue-haired girl then raised a finger. " _And_ if you dawdle for long enough, then I guess I might have to experiment on how to change the future-"

Yancy was quick to catch on to Miette's implication. "DON'T DO THAT, AUNTIE MIETTE!" she squeaked loudly.

Blanche, Kazalie, and Shulin all glared at the pink-haired Performer again.

"Whoa now, why'd you call Miette 'Auntie', Yancy?" Blanche asked curiously.

"Yeah, what's up with that?" added Kazalie.

"W-W-We have an a-aunt who's also named Miette!" Serena blurted out. In her mind, she was hitting herself for making such an unbelievably unoriginal excuse...but then again, if it worked for Shauna's lie, then surely it would work a second time, right?

At the corner of her eye, she could see Shauna face-palming and shaking her head right now.

Blanche, Kazalie, and Shulin all glared at their fellow Performer with suspicion.

" _Another_ aunt with the same name as one of the Performers in this room?" asked Shulin. "Now _that's_ pretty sketchy, if you ask me-"

"M-Mi-Miette and Nini are common names!"

"Really?" Kazalie asked. "I don't think so..."

"Yeah, they are!"

"I think this is the first time I've ever met a person named Miette or Nini..." remarked Blanche.

"They _are_ common names!" Serena glared at Miette with a pleading expression. "Aren't they, Miette?"

Miette blinked slowly. "I don't... _think_ so-" she began hesitantly.

 **"MIETTE!"** Serena, Yancy, and Shauna all squealed simultaneously in disbelief.

But before the conversation could continue, they heard Monsieur Pierre announcing, _**"And here are our first trio of wonderful Performers!"**_

"Ooh, Nini's up!" Serena cried, relieved to have the conversation steer away from that awkward topic.

* * *

In the auditorium, Ash, Selene, and the others watched as Nini, Concetta, and Odette rose to the stage on their assigned platforms, accompanied by their Pokémon. In front of them were the familiar podiums from the Anistar City Showcase. Ash's auburn eyes lit up as soon as he recognized Nini.

"Hey, there's Nini!" he said with excitement.

"Pika!" Pikachu added.

"Looks like she's going first," remarked Clemont. "Hopefully she does better at the Pokémon Quiz this time around. It'd be a bit embarrassing if she thought Eevee's Fairy-type evolution was Espeon again."

Ash smiled confidently. "I'm sure she did her research before the Showcase. She'll do fine!"

"Hey!" Bonnie suddenly piped up. "Isn't that one of the girls who were being mean to Serena back at the hotel?"

Ash looked at the Performer standing next to Nini on her right and blinked with surprise.

"Yeah, that's her," he replied. "Concetta, I think her name was."

_**"So** _ **that's** _**what you view Showcases as? A way to have** _ **fun** _**? HA! Serena, it's that kind of casual behavior that brings about the downfall of someone so promising in any competition. Trust me, think over your Showcases career, and you'll see that I'm right."** _

Ash's eyes narrowed. "I guess that means Sara Lee's in the same room as Serena..."

"Daddy?" Selene asked, looking up at her father. "I'm curious, who're Sara Lee and Concetta?"

"Oh, just a couple of Performers who gave your mom a hard time earlier this week. I wouldn't worry about it too much, Selene."

"Oh." Selene looked back towards the stage. "Well, I know I won't. Mommy will beat them, no matter what. She's the bestest Pokémon Performer in the whole wide world!"

"Pichu-pi!" Pichu squeaked in agreement.

"Hey, what about Yancy?" Nate asked, giving the little girl a mock-hurt look.

"Well, Yancy's the second-bestest, Natey!"

"Look, guys!" Trevor suddenly exclaimed, pointing towards the stage. "The stage is changing!"

Ash, Selene, Nate, and Bonnie all saw it: two massive panels in the walls right beside the stage were opening up. Once they were fully open, complete mountain sets, consisting of both real and fake stones and precipices of various sizes, were automatically wheeled out of the holes and onto the stage, presumably by a system of cogs and gears. A collective "Whoa!" swept the audience as they watched the realistic-looking set being moved onstage.

Once the mountain sets were fully wheeled in, Monsieur Pierre brought the microphone back to his mouth.

"Now that everything's all set up, I shall review the rules for everyone in the audience and at home!" he announced. "I'm sure many of you remember the Pokémon Quiz Theme Performance from the Anistar City Showcase. But I must remind all those who did not see that Showcase, or who have forgotten it, that this is not your average quiz on Pokémon! For Performers to be able to submit an answer to a question, their Pokémon must complete a task, a trial; in this case, the mountain trial!"

"A mountain trial, huh?" Ash asked. "Whoa..."

"The Performers' Pokémon must climb to the top of that mountain!" Pierre continued. "There, they will find an Easter egg containing a hint to the answer of the question I will ask! There's a possibility at least one of the Performers will already know the answer, but the hint is extra incentive for both Performer and Pokémon. Either way, the first Pokémon to bring that egg back gives the Performer an opportunity to answer the question."

The host then raised a finger in warning. " _But_ if the answer is incorrect, then the Performer whose Pokémon came in second place gets a chance to steal it! If _that_ answer is wrong, the Performer whose Pokémon came in last place gets the chance to steal. And in the unlikely event that all three Performers' answers are wrong, a new question will be asked, and the round will be restarted! Just like in the Anistar City Showcase, the first Performer who answers three questions correctly wins this round! Now then, ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, without further ado..." Pierre twirled his staff around. "Let us begin the first round of our Theme Performance! Quiz time!"

_**NINI VS. CONCETTA VS. ODETTE** _

"And here's our first question for this Theme Performance! Two Pokémon species native to the Hoenn region have been bitter enemies for many, many generations!" The TV screen above the stage promptly turned 180 degrees so it could face the trio of Performers, and then it displayed the silhouettes of two certain Pokémon. "Name both of them!"

"Two Pokémon species native to the Hoenn region?" repeated Ash in wonder. "Bitter enemies for a long time? That rings a bell, but I can't recall from where..."

"How come?!" Bonnie exclaimed sadly. "All Pokémon should be able to get along! Getting along is way, way better than hating each other forever!"

"Nenene," Dedenne squeaked in agreement.

As for Selene, she had her mouth covered, and she looked like she was about to explode.

"GO!" Nini, Concetta, and Odette ordered simultaneously. Farfetch'd, Scraggy, and Swanna all immediately went into action; not unexpectedly, Swanna lifted off into the air and reached the peak within seconds.

"Look!" Pierre exclaimed, gesturing towards the mountaintop. "Odette's Swanna has already made it to the top!"

"Yeah, Swanna!" cheered Odette, hopping up and down excitedly on her pedestal.

Swanna squawked once in triumph before picking up the Easter egg in its beak. Then, it lifted off into the air again and swept downward towards the finish line. Both Farfetch'd and Scraggy sweat-dropped in disbelief, since they had both just gotten to the foot of the mountain.

"Aaaaaaaaaand Swanna is the first to retrieve the egg!" Pierre cried the moment Swanna landed right across the finish line, eliciting a cheer from the audience. "Thus, Odette gets the chance to answer first!"

* * *

Back in the dressing room, Serena, Yancy, and the others watched in surprise as Swanna gave its Trainer the Easter egg.

"Wow. I guess that Swanna gave her a big advantage over Nini..." Serena commented.

"Don't worry, Serena," Shauna replied, looking at her rival. "There's still the question to take care of." She then looked back at the screen with concern. "Hopefully Farfetch'd comes in second place so Nini gets a greater chance to steal the question."

* * *

The massive audience watched as Odette suddenly fell silent, staring absentmindedly towards the wall on the opposite end and tapping her chin. She pursed her lips tighter and tighter with each passing second. The only sounds now in the auditorium were Farfetch'd's squawks and Scraggy's grunts as both Pokémon tried to reach the mountaintop first.

After about half of a minute had passed, Pierre said, "Odette, if you can't think of an answer on your own, you still have your Easter egg hint."

Odette's eyes suddenly lit up. "Oh, yeah! That's right!" she exclaimed cheerfully. "I forgot all about that!"

An awkward silence filled the auditorium.

"She forgot the Easter egg would be useful...?" Calem deadpanned.

On Ash's lap, Selene was red-faced, and the little girl looked absolutely frustrated with the delay.

A small, soft snap was heard as Odette quickly cracked her egg open. A small piece of paper fell out and landed in her palm, whereupon she unfolded it and read its contents.

"One is also known as the Cat Ferret Pokémon, while the other is also known as the Fang Snake Pokémon..." Blinking in confusion, Odette placed a finger on her chin. " _Hmmmmm_..."

Meanwhile, Farfetch'd and Scraggy both made it to the mountaintop, at long last. Both Pokémon stared each other down for a brief second before grabbing the closest Easter eggs and clambering down the precipice.

"Come on, Farfetch'd!" Nini called, watching as her Wild Duck Pokémon tried to maintain its footing. "You can do it!"

"Keep up the pace, Scraggy!" called Concetta. "Don't let that Farfetch'd get second place! I need to make Sara Lee proud of me!"

Scraggy landed atop a rock that was jutting out of the precipice, and realized he was still halfway down the mountain. He looked to his side and saw Farfetch'd half-running down the face of the mountain, sweating and panicking as it tried to make sure it didn't trip over itself and painfully tumble down the rest of the way.

Then, the Shedding Pokémon looked down at the very rock he was standing on. Realizing that the Showcase host didn't mention anything about improvising a way to increase one's speed while traveling up or down the mountain, Scraggy promptly used Headbutt on the rock. With just one hit, the rock broke off from the precipice, and Scraggy used it as a makeshift surfboard as he whizzed down the mountain.

"Well, will you look at that?!" Pierre exclaimed, having just noticed this latest development. "Concetta's Scraggy is now _surfing_ down the mountain! I've never seen anything like it! Fantastique! And now Scraggy has passed Farfetch'd!"

Farfetch'd's eyes widened, ad it squawked in shock when it saw Scraggy zoom past him aboard the rock, grinning and saluting tauntingly at it as he went. Narrowing its eyes, the Wild Duck Pokémon quickened its pace as much as it could.

Noticing Farfetch'd and Scraggy's improved paces, Odette started to panic.

"Oh, no!" she squealed. "I need to answer quickly! I can't let either of them steal it! Ohhhhh, Cat Ferret Pokémon and Fang Snake Pokémon...what could it _mean_?! Why, oh _why_ did I not go to the Hoenn region?!"

"You must answer quickly, Odette," advised Pierre. "If Nini or Concetta's Pokémon make it to the finish line, they will be given a chance to steal the question!"

At that moment, Scraggy reached the stage floor first, his rock shattering upon impact. Farfetch'd then leaped from the precipice once it was a few feet above the ground, and landed safely on the floor. Both Pokémon promptly made a mad dash towards the finish line, their Easter eggs in hand. They kept each other in their peripheral visions, keeping track of their paces, looking for any exploitable weaknesses.

"Farfetch'd and Scraggy are now neck-to-neck!" Pierre announced. "Will this be the end for Odette?! And which of these two Performers will be able to steal the question?! Nini or Concetta?!"

"Oh, I can't take this anymore!" Odette squealed with fear, feeling as though she were spinning in place. Her knees were buckling from the mental pressure. "The answer is Arbok and Weezing!"

A loud buzzer rang out, causing Odette's heart to drop to the bottom of her stomach. A considerable number of people in the audience were yelling or groaning with disbelief at her botched last-minute answer. Some were face-palming at the utter disregard of certain aspects of the original question, and a couple were even booing. On Ash's lap, Selene looked totally beside herself.

"OHHHHH, HOW CAN YOU **NOT** KNOW THAT, MISS PERFORMER?!" she shrieked angrily as her arms flailed about. "THE ANSWER IS SO, SO SIMPLE! I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU DIDN'T ANSWER THAT RIGHT!"

"PI-PI-PI!" Pichu squeaked in agreement, while Celebi simply looked up at Selene with concern.

"Whoa, whoa, settle down there, Selene," Ash said, chuckling as he patted the girl's head consolingly. "So you know the answer?"

"Uh-huh! I would've answered that in less than half of a second!"

"Would you now?"

"Uhhhhh...I'm afraid the answer is incorrect..." Pierre said from the stage. The Showcase host was just as astounded by Odette's answer as the audience.

"Ohhhhh..." Odette groaned, slumping over in disappointment at herself. Her Swanna simply stared at her, overwhelmed with disbelief at its Trainer's lazy answer.

Just then, Scraggy hopped across the finish line, with Farfetch'd just one step behind him.

"And just like that, Scraggy comes in second place!" announced Pierre. "Which means Concetta has the chance to steal!"

"I don't need a hint to help me with my answer!" the orange-haired girl declared confidently. "The answer is obviously Seviper and Zigzagoon!"

The buzzer rang again, and some of the spectators groaned in disappointment, realizing that Concetta was so close in her answer. As for Concetta herself, her jaw dropped open in shock.

" _What_?!" she squeaked. "I'm _sure_ that was correct! I reviewed that part, like, a hundred times!"

"I'm sorry, Concetta, but you were so close," replied Pierre. He then pointed his staff at Nini's direction. "Since Farfetch'd came in right after Scraggy, that means Nini has the steal! Now, what is your answer, Nini?"

"Simple!" Nini said. "It's Zangoose and Seviper!"

Three consecutive dings were heard and the silhouettes on the screen were colored in, revealing them to be of the gruff Zangoose and the sinister Seviper. The audience cheered loudly and applauded in response.

"Correct! Fabuleux!"

"Alright!" Nini balled up her fist in triumph before looking at an equally pleased Farfetch'd. "Great job, Farfetch'd! Even if you came in last, I knew it'd work out in the end! So great job on all your hard work!"

Farfetch'd nodded and smiled at the praise. "Farfetch'd!" it quacked.

"Alright, Nini!" Ash cheered from the seats.

"Way to go, Auntie Nini!" Selene called.

"We knew you could do it!" Tierno cried happily.

* * *

"Alright! Nini did it on her first question!"

"Hooray!"

Serena and Yancy hugged each other at the development, while their Pokémon high-fived or nodded at each other with excitement. As for Shauna, Miette, Blanche, Kazalie, and Shulin, they stared on at the screen in approval.

"Who would've thunk it?" Miette remarked, shrugging. "Then again, I've never been to Hoenn, so..."

"I have," Shulin replied, her voice slightly smug. "I saw those answers coming from a mile away."

"Hoenn, huh?" Serena asked, her interest piqued. "What's it like there?"

"Pretty warm and humid, to the point where it gets uncomfortable, but once you get used to it, there are a lot of sights and sounds that you'll definitely enjoy." Then, Shulin's eyes lit up when she remembered something. "Oh, and they have this thing called Contests! They're a little like Showcases-"

"Oh, Contests?" Serena remembered Selene and Nate's story about her traveling to Hoenn to participate in them, after her travels with Ash were done. "Yeah, I've heard of them."

"I participated in one! They're quite the experience, lemme tell you!"

"Really...?"

Serena felt her interest increasing, but before she could ask for more information, Shauna suddenly said, "Hey, guys! It looks like the second round's begun!"

The others refocused their sights on the TV.

* * *

"Question number two!" Pierre announced. "Tyrogue has a total of three different evolved forms!" The screen promptly showed images of Hitmonlee and Hitmonchan, along with another silhouette. "They are Hitmonlee, Hitmonchan, and what else?!"

Within seconds, Swanna reached the finish line first with the Easter egg. After reading the hint, Odette cried, "Drilbur!"

The buzzer rang, and the audience, especially Selene, groaned in disbelief, while Pierre himself was completely befuddled by the answer.

"S-Sorry, that was incorrect..."

"HUH?!"

A couple of minutes later, Farfetch'd crossed the finish line next, since Scraggy tripped on his loose skin. After reading the hint for herself, Nini answered, "Hitmontop!"

Three dings sounded. "Correct!" Pierre declared.

"Darn it!" Concetta snapped glumly.

"Now, on to the third question, ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls!" The screen displayed images of Pidgeot, Noctowl, Swellow, Staraptor, and Talonflame. "Which of these Flying-type Pokémon have a primary type that is not Normal?!"

Once again, Swanna reached the finish line. Without reading the hint, Odette cried, "Noctowl!"

The buzzer rang, and Selene face-palmed while Pierre replied, "Sorry, that was incorrect, Odette. ...Again."

"But I'm _sure_ it was Noctowl!"

Moments later, Scraggy crossed the finish line. Concetta read her hint and answered, "Talonflame!"

Three dings sounded. "Correct!" Pierre declared.

"YES!" Concetta bent down, picked up Scraggy, and hugged him. "We did it, Scraggy! Only two more to go!"

"On to the fourth question, everyone!" The screen showed a Bulbasaur at the left, and a column consisting of Squirtle, Charmander, Pikachu, and Sandshrew. "As a Grass-type, Bulbasaur is weak to which of the following Pokémon? Squirtle, Charmander, Pikachu, or Sandshrew?"

Yet again, Swanna was the first to reach the finish line. "Looks like Swanna comes first once again!" Pierre announced, sweat-dropping. "Hopefully we see a different result from Odette!"

Odette read her hint, double-read it, and then cried, "Bulbasaur is weak to Squirtle!"

The buzzer rang, and this time, both Ash and Selene were struggling to contain their outrage at the outlandish answer. As for Pierre, he replied with a slightly irritated voice, "Sorry, Odette, that was incorrect...once again..."

"That can't BE!"

"Farfetch'd!" Farfetch'd quacked as soon as it crossed the finish line next.

Without reading her hint, Nini absentmindedly replied, "Sandshrew." Then, her eyes widened. "No, no, wait a m-"

It was too late; the buzzer rang again. Pierre shook his head sympathetically and said, "Sorry, Nini. That was incorrect."

"No, that answer was a mistake! I'm sorry, I got distracted!"

"A potential Kalos Queen should not be distracted on and off the stage. Sorry again, Nini, but there are no do-overs, no exceptions. You can only make one answer, so you must think it over every time. With that, Concetta gets the steal!"

"Simple," replied Concetta. "The answer is Charmander."

Three dings sounded. "Correct!"

"YES!" Concetta bent down, picked up Scraggy, and hugged him again. "Only one more to go, Scraggy! I know you can do it!"

As for Nini, she slumped over in defeat. "Aw, why'd I have to be distracted by that Odette girl's silly answer?" she asked herself as Farfetch'd sympathetically patted her leg.

"Fifth question!" The screen next showed images of Uxie, Mesprit, and Azelf. "Which of these Legendary Pokémon found in the Sinnoh region is known as 'The Being of Emotion'?"

Not unexpectedly, Swanna reached the finish line. The entire audience groaned with exasperation, and even Pierre had to move his microphone away so he could say, "Oh, for the love of..." But then, he recomposed himself and announced, "Swanna is first yet again!"

Odette read her hint, double-read it, tripled-read it, and then cried, "Mesprit-" The entire audience gasped with surprise. "-beats Uxie!"

"THAT'S NOT EVEN-!" Pierre began furiously, but he was suddenly interrupted by the buzzer and the collective groans of the audience. The host quickly recomposed himself again and said quickly, "Tha-That's incorrect. Who will steal, Nini or Concetta?"

"How did I even...?" Odette asked, her voice trailing off as she read her hint again.

"How could this girl be so dumb?!" Selene snapped from the seats.

"Selene, that's not a very nice thing to say!" Nate exclaimed. Then, he whispered to himself, "She sure _is_ not that bright, though..."

Farfetch'd quickly crossed the finish line with Nini's hint. The Wild Duck Pokémon waddled over to its Trainer and handed her the egg, whereupon Nini snapped it open, took out the piece of paper, and unfolded it.

"The Being of Emotion is found at Lake Verity," Nini read, her voice hushed. Her eyes then widened with worry. "Oh, no! I didn't study up on my Sinnoh geography! Ohhhhh, where _is_ Lake Verity in Sinnoh? I know there are three major lakes there, but I don't know which is which!"

"It's Mesprit, it's Mesprit, it's Mesprit," Selene chanted in a whisper, over and over again to herself.

"Come on, Nini," Ash said. "You can do it. We believe in you."

"You've got this, Nini," whispered Clemont, his eyes totally focused on the rotund Performer.

"Go, Nini!" Tierno suddenly called, a clenched fist raised. "Go, Nini! Go, Nini!"

* * *

"Come on, Nini!" Serena shouted determinedly as she watched the TV. "You can do it! I believe in you!"

"Go, Aun- Nini!" cried Yancy, her fists clenched.

* * *

"Do you have an answer for us, Nini?" Pierre asked, approaching Nini's podium. "Or should Concetta steal?"

Nini first looked at Concetta, who was fidgeting impatiently, hoping to get a shot at stealing the question. Both of them were neck-to-neck, with two correct answers each. Whoever answered this question correctly would be the winner of this Theme Performance. Nini didn't want to take her chances on both of them answering incorrectly, so she knew she had to submit the correct answer...

Nini then glared at the images of Uxie, Mesprit, and Azelf. They seemed to look back at her, taunting her.

 _"Alright,"_ she thought. _"I definitely remember studying these three a while back...but my memory's hazy! I...I remember associating their colors with what they were said to have taught humans... Uxie's yellow... So that's like, uh...uhhhhh...like Arceus's rings! And the Book of Alpha's yellow too, and it is said to be the ancient book of knowledge! So that leaves out Uxie..."_ She started to sweat with concern. _"Oh, no...I...I don't remember what my connotations for Mesprit and Azelf were!"_

"Well, alright!" Pierre exclaimed, while Concetta beamed with hope. "If you do not have the answer, Nini, then I guess-"

Nini reacted on impulse. "No, I do have an answer!" she proclaimed.

"Really?" Pierre raised an eyebrow with curiosity. "So, what is it?"

 _"Ohhhhh, why'd I have to say that?!"_ Nini exclaimed in her mind. More and more beads of sweat were dripping down her forehead and temples by the minute. But she knew there was no turning back. She HAD to answer this! She felt that she had humiliated herself back at the Anistar City Showcase, and she had been burying her face in Pokémon research books ever since. All of her hard work and effort HAD to pay off here!

"GO, NINI, GO!"

Nini gasped and looked up at the middle of the audience. She could make out all of Serena, Shauna, and Miette's friends sitting there, watching her proudly. For some reason, Tierno was the most energetic and supportive of them all, but their faces told her everything: they knew she could do it, and even if she couldn't, they'd still be there for her. And she knew the same thing applied to Serena, Shauna, and Miette themselves...

Nini smiled and felt a little euphoric in all the support. Without an ounce of hesitation, she answered, "Mesprit."

...

Three particularly wonderful dings sounded, and the audience erupted into a tremendous, thunderous cheer, drowning out Pierre's voice as the host declared excitedly, "CORRECT!"

" **YES!** " Nini squealed, overwhelmed with astonishment. She then picked up Farfetch'd and hugged it as tightly as she could. "WE DID IT, FARFETCH'D! WE DID IT!"

"Farfetch'd, far!" Farfetch'd replied excitedly.

"Darn it!" Concetta snapped glumly.

"And this makes Nini the winner of this Theme Performance round, the Pokémon Quiz!" Pierre cried mightily. "Everyone, give a big round of applause for these three wonderful Performers!"

The auditorium was filled with nothing but the sound of clapping, with Ash, Selene, and the rest of their group being the ones to clap hardest. Nini, Concetta, Odette, and their Pokémon all turned towards the audience and bowed politely.

* * *

"Congratulations, Nini!" Serena cried as she hugged her rival. "You did great out there!"

"Yeah, I sure showed the audience my intellect!" Nini replied, proudly jabbing a thumb at her chest. "Even if there wasn't a prize for winning these Theme Performances, I was definitely on edge!"

"Yeah, I could see that on the TV," said Yancy. "I guess Showcases can be tense even if they're Exhibition Showcases..."

"Flo, flo," Florges added, nodding in agreement.

"Quill!" Quilladin chirped.

Serena and Yancy then watched as Shauna, Miette, Blanche, Kazalie, and Shulin all hugged Nini and congratulated her as well. While the others were preoccupied with that, the mother and daughter looked at each other.

"So tell me, is this your first time in an Exhibition Showcase, Yancy?" Serena asked.

Yancy nodded. "Mm-hm. I've been to a couple before, but they're held every few years back in my timeline. And you're always participating in them, so...I try to stay clear of that." The girl blushed nervously and started twiddling her fingers. "But now...I'm gonna have to compete against you..."

Serena was quick to realize Yancy's concerns. "Hey, don't you worry, Yancy." She placed her hands on Yancy's shoulders, startling her future daughter. "Remember, this is all just for fun. Think all about that and nothing else. Not even me. That way, you and your Pokémon will have the time of your life. Okay?"

Yancy's blush increased as she stared at her mother with astonishment. Then, she smiled and nodded.

"Okay, M-" She quickly remembered that Blanche, Kazalie, and Shulin were still earshot. "S-Serena!"

Both girls giggled at one another before Shauna spoke up.

"Guys, Monsieur Pierre's spinning the wheel again!"

All of the Performers in the room glued their eyes to the TV, watching as Pierre's carnival wheel was a blur once again. It didn't take long for it to stop, and this time, the arrow was pointing a conspicuously gray square.

_**"And the second Theme Performance is...Rhyhorn Herding!"** _

* * *

"Rhyhorn Herding?" repeated Grace, her eyes suddenly lighting up. "Now _this_ should be interesting..."

Meyer looked at the former jockey with curiosity. "You like Rhyhorn?" he asked.

"She made a _living_ off of Rhyhorn," Layla replied, staring at her older sister mockingly. "It's a shame her mother never approved of it in the first place. The two of them made quite a scene back then..."

Grace narrowed her eyes. "Must you remind me of that, Layle...?" she snarled menacingly.

Suddenly, a new voice piped up, "Can I interest you guys in some hot dogs and Pokémon food?"

Ash's entire group looked towards the aisle to their left, and saw a teenage boy standing there, facing their row of seats. He had dark-blue hair and blue eyes; and he wore a dark-blue shirt, blue jeans, and a clean green-and-white apron with a half-Poké Ball symbol in the middle. He was carrying a tray of nothing but freshly-made hot dogs; the steam was still emanating from the buns and meat, spreading a lovely aroma across the seats.

"YES, PLEASE!" Ash and Selene shouted at the same time; their eyes literally turned into hearts, and their postures were now rigid and at attention.

"Well, looks like someone's hungry," the boy replied, chuckling at the pair's enthusiasm.

"Tell me about it, man," Tierno said, chuckling as well. "I think I'll take a hot dog as well."

"Me too, me too!" Bonnie chirped.

"Nenene!" Dedenne squeaked, while Squishy just chirped nonchalantly.

"Me three!" Calem cried.

"Settle down, settle down!" the boy exclaimed, laughing as he started passing hot dogs down the row. "Don't you worry, everyone's getting a hot dog..."

Within a minute, everyone in Ash's group were chewing on a savory hot dog. To the surprise of no one but the teenage server, Ash and Selene shared a dozen hot dogs between each other; they were all arranged in a pile, inside a box. As for Pikachu, Pichu, Dedenne, and Celebi, they were given small bowls of special Pokémon food...plus half a dozen bottles of ketchup, given at Pikachu's request.

"Whew!" the server exclaimed. "Well then, I guess my job here is finally done. Man, you guys took everything that I had in that tray. And that was a new tray, might I add!"

"Blame them," Clemont said, pointing at Ash and Selene as they devoured one hot dog each in a single bite. "They both have exceptional appetites."

The boy sweat-dropped as he watched Ash and Selene finish their hot dogs already and devour the next ones.

"I see..." he replied.

"I'll pay for the food," Meyer said. The electrician reached for his pocket. "How much?"

"Oh, don't worry about it, sir. Everything's free, courtesy of Palermo and the Pokémon Showcase Committee!"

"Palermo?" Ash said in recognition, even though his mouth was still full. After gulping down his hot dog, he asked with curiosity, "Is she here?"

"W-Well, I definitely haven't seen her." However, the boy looked away and scratched his nose in a conspicuous manner. "But, knowing her, I bet that she is. She's gotta look out for her star Kalos Queen, after all..."

The young server suddenly became silent, to the point where it became unbearably awkward, prompting Meyer to say, "Well, uh, thank you for your service, uhhhhhhh..." He saw the name-tag pinned to the boy's apron and quickly read it. "Foster."

The boy cleared his throat and recomposed himself. "You're very welcome, sir." He flashed the entire group a kind smile. "If any of you need anything else, just be on the lookout for the guys with the green aprons. We'll be happy to provide you all the services that you need!"

"Thanks, Foster!" Ash replied. "We'll be-" He took another bite of hot dog in mid-sentence. "-sure to remember that!"

"A-Alright..." Foster sweat-dropped, but he gave the group a kind wave as he walked back toward the exit. "Enjoy your food, guys!"

* * *

"Alouette, Elma, and Lily? You three are up."

"Right!"

Yancy, Serena, and the others watched as the second trio of Performers walked out of the room, followed by Alouette's Furfrou, Elma's Roserade, and Lily's Solrock. As she watched them go, something caught Yancy's attention, something happening at the corner of her eye. She looked towards Sara Lee and Concetta, and was quite surprised to see Concetta on her knees, clutching Sara Lee's arm as the other Performer seemed to be preoccupied with grooming her Glaceon.

"Look, I'm sorry, Sara Lee!" Concetta was saying. "I promise, I'll do better next time!"

"Yeah, yeah..." Sara Lee replied nonchalantly as she brushed Glaceon's fur.

"Please listen to me, Sara Lee! I didn't mean to say you should take it so seriously! I swear!" When Sara Lee remained silent, Concetta buried her face in her friend's shoulder; she tragically looked close to tears. "Sara Lee..."

Yancy narrowed her eyes with absolute disgust at Sara Lee's cold behavior. She never recalled her mother telling her all about the Performers beyond her main rivals, not that she was interested, anyway. But now, she could tell why. Pokémon Showcases back then seemed to have a lot of tension and bitterness weighing down on them, hence the aggressive and highly competitive nature of these Performers. Perhaps it had something to do with Aria's tenure as Kalos Queen; after all, everyone knew it was the longest in Showcase history.

 _"Maybe that's why,"_ Yancy thought in conclusion. _"Perhaps everyone got sick of losing to Auntie Aria in the Master Class. So sick that it affected their attitudes towards Showcases..."_

"Hey, Serena!" a bright, cheerful voice piped up.

_"Well, probably not everyone..."_

"Hi, Blanche," Yancy replied, smiling at her newfound friend. "What's up?"

"I'm just wondering, how come I never saw you in any Showcases before? On TV and in person?"

"I told you, Blanche, I just so happened to be performing on the other side of the region! And you probably just missed all the Showcase reports showing me. Somehow."

"Are you sure? I keep track of all the Showcase reports on Pokévision. I never miss a single one. And you're _never_ in any of the Showcases that were held this past season."

Yancy started to sweat nervously. When she first encountered Blanche, Kazalie, and Shulin and learned they were going to Kiloude City, she knew that accompanying them was her best chance at searching for Selene, Nate, and Evelyn. But one thing led to another, and she told the trio that she was a Pokémon Performer from the present day in order to gain their full trust. None of the girls seemed to question it, and they warmly welcomed her into their circle, something that she was eternally grateful for.

But now, it seemed like Blanche was starting to find holes in her story. And there was no way Yancy could risk letting her know the truth! No matter how nice she was!

Before Yancy could say anything, Blanche suddenly whispered, "Look, if you're crashing this Showcase, Yancy, I promise I'll keep quiet about it."

...

" _Crashing_ this Showcase?!" Yancy repeated, dumbstruck but also relieved. "Wh-What're you _talking_ about-?"

"It must be hard, living under the shadow of your sister." Blanche made a surreptitious glance towards Serena, who was chatting with the others. "She's a first-timer, and all of a sudden she's a big star in the Showcase world, even if she was beaten by Aria in the Master Class. It's a good thing you've got family and friends who are willing to let you have a piece of that glory-"

"I-It's not like that, Blanche!" squeaked Yancy.

"Really?" Blanche raised an eyebrow with suspicion. "Then what is it, Yancy? But don't you dare lie to me again. You're a good friend, but I don't like friends who lie to your face. That's worse than having the worst of enemies."

Yancy tried her best to disguise her gulp. Then, she replied, "Y-Y-You're right. I'm crashing."

"Oh...?"

"I'm sorry, Blanche. I...I was going to lie to you again, but then you said all of that stuff about lying friends being worse than the worst enemies and it just... _got_ to me. Y-Yeah." Yancy pursed her lips and fidgeted with her feet. "I'm crashing this Showcase right now. I...I _really_ want to feel what Serena felt onstage and-and I couldn't wait till next year! A-A-And since this Showcase is just for fun and all that stuff, I didn't think anyone would be paying attention if a newbie entered the scene a little too early-"

"Alright, alright, I think I've heard enough!" Blanche interrupted, chuckling. "I'm glad that we get to understand each other better now, Yancy." She gave the pink-haired girl her trademark bubbly smile. "I'm so glad!"

"Y-Y-Yeah...I-I'm glad too, Blanche... So, so glad! Heh heh heh..."

Immediately did Yancy feel _extremely_ guilty for her newest lie. But she didn't know what else to do! It was either that or jeopardize her future. She could tell she was already teeter-tottering on a fine line, with the past versions of her whole family being in on the secret. She couldn't let anyone else know, not when so much was at stake!

Then, she noticed Sara Lee and Concetta at the corner of her eye again and suddenly remembered something...

_**"If you or your sisters are still having problems with Sara Lee, just come to me, okay? We go** _ **waaaaay** _**back, so I can handle her just fine."** _

_"Blanche sure has a strong opinion about friends who lie to one another,"_ Yancy thought, _"and apparently she goes way back with Sara Lee. Could these two have been friends once, but then one of them lied and it ended the friendship?"_ She blinked in shock as she looked back and forth between Blanche and Sara Lee. _"_ _Is_ that _what happened between them...?"_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaaaannnnnd fin! I hope everyone enjoyed my first shot at writing a Theme Performance sequence! I did a lot of episode-watching for reference, so I think I did good. Tell me if there's anything I need to improve on!
> 
> Just to remind you folks, Odette is my original name for the unnamed background Performer with the Swanna; it's taken from The Swan Princess, which I only heard about from a YouTube review, probably by the Nostalgia Critic. As for my lil' running gag with her astoundingly wrong answers, it's supposed to be a reference to the fact that, if you pay very close attention, you'll see she never made it past the Theme Performance rounds during the Coumarine City and Dendemille Town Showcases, and she was never seen during the Master Class Showcase. In other words, she's such a failure at Showcases that it's actually become a little meme in certain circles. I learned this piece of trivia from a DeviantArt user named DaDonYordel, who makes pretty great artwork, so I highly recommend checking them out.
> 
> Well, hope you enjoyed this chapter! TheCartoonFanatic01 is out. PEACE!


	17. A Chance Encounter with Royalty

**Laurier Maison**

"And here are our next trio of Performers!" Pierre shouted as he twirled his staff.

Certain sections of the audience erupted into massive, earsplitting cheering as Alouette, Elma, and Lily rose to the stage on their assigned platforms, accompanied by their Pokémon. Since they didn't recognize any of the Performers onstage, Ash and his friends merely winced and covered their ears as Alouette, Elma, and Lily's rabid fans roared with excitement all around them.

"YEAH, YOU GO, ALOUETTE!" one fan cried.

"COME ON, ELMA!" another fan screamed. "BLOW THESE OTHER GIRLS OUT OF THE WATER!"

"THAT'S OUR DEAR LILY!" a woman shrieked.

Selene couldn't help but stare at a small but tight-knit group of fans who had just stood up on the row of seats in front of her. They were clearly fans of Lily's, since they were wearing bright-orange shirts with photos of the blonde Performer both on the front and the back. The woman who apparently led this group also seemed to resemble Lily quite a bit, with her own blonde hair styled into twin pigtails, and her green eyes gleaming behind small rectangular glasses.

"YEAH, LILY!" screeched the man standing beside the twin-tailed woman. "MAKE YOUR PARENTS PROUD!"

 _"Wow,"_ Selene thought. _"I'd hate to be Lily. Her mommy and daddy look really silly..."_

Selene then noticed the teenage boy sitting between Lily's parents. He was the only one in the group not standing and cheering with reckless abandon. Instead, he shrunk further in his seat, looking extremely uncomfortable as he continued to listen to music on his phone. His unruly mat of blond hair seemed to be covering his eyes-

**" _BIIIII_!"**

Eyes widening with alarm, Selene looked down and saw Celebi squirming desperately in her arms and covering its ears.

"Daddy, Daddy, Daddy!" the girl cried over the audience's uproar, tugging at Ash's collar to catch the Trainer's attention. "It's too loud for Celebi! Can we please leave? Please?!"

Ash and Pikachu both looked at Celebi and saw what the problem was. "Alright," he replied. Then, he turned to Clemont and caught his attention. "Hey, Selene wants to leave. The noise is disturbing Celebi."

"Okay," the inventor said, nodding with understanding. "You take Selene out to the lobby. I'll find you and call you over when we recognize someone onstage."

"I'll go with you, Ash," Nate volunteered.

"Me too," Calem added, raising his hand. "I need to go to the bathroom anyway."

"We'll come along as well," Layla said, as Moose nodded beside her with agreement. "I need to get some refreshments."

Selene hopped off Ash's lap, allowing the Pallet Town local to stand up and follow his future daughter out onto the aisle. Nate, Calem, Layla, and Moose all stood up and followed Ash's lead, with Layla moving extremely cautiously so as to not disturb her enlarged abdomen.

"What about you, Grace?" Moose asked, glancing over his shoulder at his sister-in-law. "Are you coming?"

"Nope," Grace replied absentmindedly, her fascinated eyes glued to the Rhyhorn. "I think I'm going to see this Theme Performance through..."

"If you insist..."

As Ash's group left, Clemont glanced at Bonnie. "How about you, Bonnie?" he asked. "Aren't you gonna go with them?"

"No way!" Bonnie replied stubbornly. "I don't wanna be anywhere near that Selene!"

The older boy sighed. "Bonnie, you _really_ should be nicer to her. How are you going to be a good auntie if you're going to behave that way all the time around your niece?"

The little girl looked away and harrumphed. "Maybe she should have thought about it before she went all willy-nilly and touched Squishy without asking first!"

"Nenene..." Dedenne squeaked, looking at its caretaker with concern. As for Squishy, it looked up at Bonnie with a look of disapproval.

"You're still hung up over _that_...?" Clemont deadpanned.

* * *

At her personal viewing booth, Aria spotted Ash and his group as they left the auditorium in a hurry. At first, she was a little confused when she only recognized Ash out of everyone else in that small group, but she then brushed it off. After all, she could tell Serena and her friends had a knack of befriending anyone they came across along the way.

At that moment, Aria flashed back to her first encounter with Serena in person. Unlike herself, Serena had the support of her friends all the way through her performing career...

"Palermo?" she suddenly spoke up.

"Yes, Aria?" Palermo replied.

The woman turned her head to look at her, and Aria suddenly felt slightly intimidated by how slowly her mentor made that movement. But she stomached her feelings and said the first thing that came to the top of her head.

"I need to step out for a bit. I have a bathroom emergency."

Palermo blinked once with surprise, and Aria knew why. She never excused herself before whenever she was a guest at a special Showcase-related event. She always had all of her personal matters and emergencies settled before thrusting herself out into the spotlight. Aria already started to regret this last-minute decision, and yet, she felt her heart speaking for her.

"I know it's a little sudden and unconventional, but-"

"By all means, Aria," Palermo interrupted, "go on ahead." She then gazed out coldly at Alouette, Elma, and Lily. "It's not like you'll be missing anything important..."

Aria narrowed her eyes slightly at Palermo's view of the Performers who conveniently weren't Serena, but nevertheless, she seized her chance.

"Thank you, Palermo."

Bowing her head for the quickest moment, the Kalos Queen then rushed out of the booth, a little too quickly for her own comfort. Now that she was out in the hallway, Aria looked around for a brief moment, quickly noticing a man with wavy, neatly-combed green hair with golden streaks talking silently on his cellphone. Once the man hung up and returned to his private booth, leaving her all alone in the hallway, Aria seized her opportunity.

She removed her fancy, long white gloves and her signature light-blue bow. Then, she procured a pair of black, square-shaped glasses and put them over her shining, dazzling red eyes.

"Alright, Ariana," she said softly to herself. "It's time for you to shine."

* * *

"Is that better, Celebi?"

"Biiiii..."

Selene giggled and stroked one of Celebi's antennae gently and lovingly. The Time Travel Pokémon cooed at the seven-year-old girl's touch and snuggled at her chest even more. Ash, Nate, Pikachu, and Pichu smiled and watched all of this from the opposite side of the group's small, circular table, set up in the middle of a decent-sized food court.

"Celebi seems to like you a lot, Selene," Ash said.

"Pika pika-chu," Pikachu added in agreement.

"Well, of course!" Selene replied, looking up with the cheekiest smile. "Pokémon love me!"

"Until she starts hugging them too tightly," Nate suddenly joked. "Then she gets burned, zapped, doused, pelted, blown away, the whole works."

The girl puffed out her cheeks angrily. "They don't do that to me, Natey!"

"Yeah?" Nate smirked knowingly. "My Pyroar would beg to differ-"

"That's because it was so CUTE as a Litleo! How could I not hug it, Natey?! All cute and soft and cuddly Pokémon need to be hugged!"

Meanwhile, Ash looked at Nate inquisitively. "You have a Pyroar, Nate?" he asked.

"Oh, I have tons of Pokémon, more than just six," Nate replied, sticking up his chin boastfully. "Barbaracle, Jolteon, and Emboar are just the tip of a very big iceberg! Many of them are over at Professor Juniper's lab, though."

"Ohhhhh, Professor Juniper!" Ash instantly remembered the female Pokémon Professor he met in Unova. "That's right! How is she doing in the future?"

"Well, it's the same old, same old." Nate suddenly stifled a snicker. "She's getting a little senile, though. Her assistants are debating if Bianca should inherit the lab or not."

Ash's eyebrows shot up at the mention of his old rival. "Bianca?"

"Oh, yeah. She's still working as Professor Juniper's top assistant, even though she's clearly better at the Professor's job than the Professor herself. Everyone thinks she'll be the star of the lab if she takes over."

The Pallet Town native suddenly had flashbacks to all of the times Bianca collided into him and forced him to go shirtless for a matter of minutes each time. Upon re-experiencing those memories, Ash stifled a snicker of his own.

"I doubt it," he whispered to himself and Pikachu; the Mouse Pokémon rolled his beady eyes in response. Just then, Ash thought of a new question and asked curiously, "Hey, Nate? How many regions did you travel to?"

"Six," Nate replied. "First, I started off in Unova and challenged the League, but I only got to the Top 8. Then, I went to Kanto next, because that's where you're from and I wanted to learn all about my childhood hero's home region."

Ash arched an eyebrow and blushed with humility. "Childhood hero, huh...?"

"And then, after I got to the Top 4 of the Kanto League, I decided to go to the Johto region next, because I met a Trainer from there during the Indigo Plateau Conference and I accompanied him back out of interest." Nate suddenly chuckled. "I sure had a lot of interesting adventures there. I rescued Raikou, Entei, and Suicune from Parker and his goon friends; and I even got to see Ho-Oh."

Ash's eyes widened to the size of saucers. "Ho-Oh?! Man, I haven't seen that Pokémon in a while..."

"Trust me, you will see it again eventually, Ash. Anyway..." Nate gazed at the food court absentmindedly, a soft smile of reminiscence forming on his face. "I got Top 4 again in the Johto League, and then I decided to go to Hoenn." His smile suddenly faltered. "I...wasn't really at the top of my game that time. I think it was because of the tropical climate there. It made me a little goofy and clumsy with my decisions."

"Yeah..." Ash chuckled nervously. "I think I experienced a similar slump back when I was traveling in Unova..."

"I only got to the Top 16 in the Hoenn League," Nate deadpanned with embarrassment.

...

"But I guess my slump wasn't as bad as yours."

"Pika..." Pikachu mumbled.

"Then," Nate continued, "I was going to travel to Sinnoh next, but I heard about the Pokémon World Tournament being held back at Unova, so I returned home to participate there instead. That's where I met you and your family, Ash."

"The Pokémon World Tournament?" Ash's eyes started to shine with fascination. "What's that?"

"Pika?" Pikachu was also at full attention.

"Oh!" Nate's eyes started to shine as well, and there was a vibrant joy present in his voice as he began his explanation. "The Pokémon World Tournament, or the PWT for short, is a special Pokémon battling tournament that's held every ten years in my hometown, Aspertia City! I don't think it exists yet right now, but you really should look forward to it when it's announced! It's an inter-regional cultural exchange festival of sorts, and it lasts for a whole two weeks. Celebrities and representatives from far and wide gather at Aspertia to promote their home regions."

"Awesome!" Ash's auburn eyes started to shine even more. "I'd love to be a part of that someday!"

"Of course, the main attraction of the PWT is the Pokémon battling events. Participants get to blaze through a region's entire roster of Gym Leaders, Elite Four members, and Champions! For example, you get to battle all eight Sinnoh Gym Leaders, the Sinnoh Elite Four, and then the Champion Verity in one sitting! ...Or, in your case, Cynthia."

"Wow, _really_...?" An image of himself facing Roark, Gardenia, Maylene, Crasher Wake, Fantina, Byron, Candice, Volkner, Aaron, Bertha, Flint, Lucian, Cynthia, and their Pokémon flashed through Ash's mind. "That sounds so cool..."

" _Pika_..." Pikachu cooed in awed agreement.

"Uh-huh. But it's only one Pokémon at a time, and the Gym Leaders are only going to use their best Pokémon. You lose a battle to, say, Maylene, you have to start from the beginning again, no exceptions."

Ash blinked with surprise. "Whoa, sounds harsh."

"It _is_ supposed to be a little harsh. The main point of those PWT attractions is to push a Pokémon Trainer's skill to the limits. And if you beat all of the Gym Leaders, Elite Four members, and Champions of a region, you get a prize that will allow you to advance to another region's worth of Gym Leaders, Elite Four members, and Champions."

A sly, confident grin appeared on the raven-haired boy's youthful face.

"What happens if you beat all of the regions represented in the PWT?" he asked.

"You get a special prize that allows you to advance to the Champions Tournament. There, you will battle every last one of the Pokémon Champions present, with all of your Pokémon pitted against all of theirs. Once you beat all of them, you win the Champions Tournament and get the honorary title of Pokémon World King."

Ash immediately imagined himself and Pikachu on a towering pedestal, boasting a giant, golden trophy and crown.

" _Wooooow_..." He focused on Nate again. "Has anyone beaten the Champions Tournament?"

"Some guy had the first Champion in that Tournament down to his last Pokémon before he got utterly creamed. That's the farthest I've heard someone go in there."

"...Did _you_ win the PWT?"

Nate snorted. "Yeah, in my dreams. I was only able to beat the Unova, Kanto, and Johto Leaders Tournaments. Then, the PWT got interrupted by Parker and his cronies."

Ash narrowed his eyes. "Parker again, huh?"

"Yeah. Some lowlife hired them to capture a Victini because they couldn't stand to lose another battle. With your help, I managed to help Victini out, but I got a little in over my head at one point and I had to sit the rest of the PWT out in a hospital." Nate sighed sadly. "It, uh...it didn't really matter to me, anyway... I-I mean...th-the only way a-anyone would have to be crowned Pokémon World King is if they..." He sighed again. "They had no life, you know what I mean...?"

Nate sighed a third time with extreme despondence, prompting Ash to reply, "You cross paths with Parker a lot, huh?"

"Yep. I'm not sure how that's even possible."

"Hopefully Parker doesn't escape from that prison." Ash looked at Selene, Celebi, and Pichu as they innocuously played with each other. "We need to get Celebi to a safe place before that can even happen."

"Agreed." Then, the brown-haired boy smiled slightly. "But, on the bright side, at least the PWT incident allowed me to meet Yancy for the first time in a while."

"In a while...?" Ash repeated.

A lightbulb seemed to go off over Nate's head. "Oh yeah, that's right. I didn't remember it at the time, but when I was seven, I met Yancy during another PWT event. I think you were just sworn in as a Frontier Brain, so you had the new perk of participating as a PWT guest." Nate shrugged. "I've got no idea. I barely remember any of it for...some reason."

"Huh." Ash scratched his cheek. "That's weird. It sounds just like me meeting Serena at Professor Oak's summer camp back when we were kids. I barely remember any of it either."

"Yeah, that _is_ weird..."

"Now I'm gonna have Serena as my...future wife..." Ash blushed at the mere thought of that prospect. In an attempt to clear his mind of those awkward thoughts, he laughed loudly and heartily. "Isn't that funny?!"

"I know, right?!" exclaimed Nate. "It's like you two were _destined_ to be together!"

A nervous tone became present in Ash's laugh, but he continued, "For all we know, _you're_ probably gonna get together with Yancy too. I mean, you met her the same way as I met Serena, right?"

"Y-Y- _Yeah_..." Nate's eyes started to fill with worry and apprehension. "Th-That's right..."

"I-It'd be quite funny if that happened, right...?"

"Y-Yeah, it'd _definitely_ be quite funny..."

Both boys continued to laugh nervously while they stared awkwardly at the table. Selene, Celebi, and Pichu all overheard the conversation; and the little girl was now staring back at her father and her teenage sister's crush with the cheekiest, most know-it-all of grins. As for Pikachu, he was looking up at Ash with an extremely, EXTREMELY dissatisfied look.

After an awkward period of Ash and Nate just laughing, the latter finally turned towards his idol.

"Seriously, though," he said, abruptly breaking away from the laughter, "that wouldn't happen, right?"

Pikachu simply face-palmed.

"What do you mean it wouldn't happen?" Ash asked, confused. "Do you not want it to happen?"

"What makes you think I want it to happen?"

"I don't know! We're quite alike, and we even have friends who are girls who like Showcases and who happen to be, you know...pretty! Now, I know I'm going to have to m-m-marry Serena if we're going to have Yancy and Selene. Now, I do not know about you, but I see a little _pattern_..."

"Daddy's right, Natey..." Selene chirped slyly.

"Pikachu chu-PI, Pikapi!" Pikachu squeaked loudly with exasperated relief.

Nate stood up, looking a little affronted. "L-L-Look, Ash! Yancy's just a really good f-fr-fr-friend of mine, and that's that!" He started to blush intensely and ambiguously at the prospect of something beyond friendship. "Th-There's NO pattern here-"

"Are you sure, Natey?" Selene interrupted. " _I_ smell a pattern here."

"Pichu pi," Pichu added, nodding.

"Wh-What about _you_ , Ash?!" Nate cried, desperately wanting to veer the subject away from him and his relationship with Yancy. "Do you _want_ to marry Serena?!"

"W-Well..." Ash started blushing as well, just as Pikachu looked up at his Trainer with a knowing look. "I-I mean...uh..." He looked at Selene, who was staring at him hopefully. "Well, i-if it means having Selene and Yancy as my kids, then I'm all in for it. They're very nice. And this Red guy, I'd like to see what he's like as a son-"

"Ignore the kids part, Ash. Do you _want_ to marry Serena? Like, do you _want_ her as your wife?"

Ash looked at Nate with surprise. "Wh-Wh-Why are you asking me this?!"

"I dunno! I'm just curious!" Then, Nate added in his mind, _"Plus, I wanna stop talking about me and Yancy. It's weird..."_

Ash looked away, his blush magnifying by the second. Certain images of Serena strolling down the aisle towards him, clad in a white wedding gown, the kind one only sees in romance movies, were flashing through his mind. Ash couldn't help but wince at them. It was so, _so_ , SO awkward, thinking that way about his friend...

And yet, he couldn't stop thinking about their future wedding. He found himself obsessing over every last detail of it. It was like...he was...a little _eager_ about it...

Did that mean he was...?

He strained as he replied, "I...I..."

Just then, another voice suddenly called, "Hey! Hey, you! Uh, A-Ashton!"

Ash started looking around. "Huh...?"

At that moment, a girl around his and Nate's ages, probably a year older, ran up to the trio and their Pokémon. She had sleek, flowing red hair and breathtaking eyes of an identical color; and she was also wearing a semi-formal, white-and-turquoise dress and a pair of black, square-shaped glasses. At first, Ash didn't recognize her, but then, a gear in his mind clicked back into place and his auburn eyes widened.

"Hey!" he exclaimed, now immensely relieved by Ariana's arrival. "You're that girl who battled Serena with a Delphox and Aromatisse!"

"Pika!" Pikachu cried with surprise.

Then, Ash scratched his cheek sheepishly. "Ummmmm...I forgot your name, though..."

"It's Ariana," the redheaded girl replied. Then, she gave an exceptionally charming wink. "It's so good to see you again, Ashton!"

"Th-Thank you, and it's just Ash..."

"Oh, I'm sorry! Where are my manners?!" Then, Ariana looked at Nate and Selene, who tried her best to cover Celebi's facial features with its blanket. "And you must be Serena's family!"

"You could say that..." Nate replied.

"It's so nice to meet all of you!"

"Whoa, what are you doing here?" Ash asked. "I haven't seen you in a while." Then, his eyes lit up. "Oh, don't tell me, you're participating in the Exhibition Showcase too, aren't you?!"

"In the words of your friend, you could say that," responded Ariana cleverly.

"Man, Serena would be so happy to see you again after all this time! Did you two see each other in the waiting room?"

"No, sadly. But, rest assured, she'll definitely see me on the stage soon."

"Awesome!" Then, Ash's smile faded, and he blinked with curiosity. "So...what are you doing _here_ , in this food court?"

"Well, I'm waiting for my turn!"

Ash tilted his head a little. "But I thought they select a trio of Performers at random. What if they call your name when you're not there?"

Ariana blushed a little, looking like she was caught in a lie. "O-Oh! W-Well, I put in special reservations to go last!"

"Why would you do that? And I never knew you could make special reservations..."

"It's a little perk that I have."

"A perk, huh? How do you get those perks? Maybe Serena might find some of them useful-"

"I-It's not that easy, Ash," Aria interrupted abruptly.

"Really? Why is it not that easy?"

"Y-Yo-You need to have the r-r-right connections to the r-right people!"

"What kind of people?"

"J-J-Just the right kind of people!"

Selene immediately rolled her eyes and sighed. "Oh, just drop the act already, Auntie Aria!" she squeaked with irritation. "You're not a very good liar, anyway!"

...

...

...

...

...

"Wh- _Wha_...?" Aria replied, flabbergasted.

"W-What did you just call Ariana, Selene?" Ash asked, taken aback.

"How could you not _see_ it, Daddy?!" exclaimed Selene. "Ariana's clearly Ari- MMPH!"

Aria immediately clasped her hand over Selene's mouth, and the redheaded teenager stared deeply into her eyes.

"How did you know it was me?!" she wheezed in a hushed whisper. "Did someone pay you to _stalk_ me?! Did someone in the press pay you?! Was it that Mandibuzz character?!"

"HEY! I'M **NOT** A MANDIBUZZ!" a certain reporter's voice hollered from the distance.

"You can give it up, Aria," Nate deadpanned. "We already know who you are."

" _Huh_?!" Ash exclaimed. "You're saying Ariana is actually-"

"SHHHHH!" Aria interrupted, silencing the Pallet Town Trainer. Then, she sighed with disappointment. "Guess there's no point in hiding it anymore..."

"What do you mean?"

"The girl's right, Ash. I don't know how she's right, but she is. I really am..." She looked around to see if anyone else in the crowd was eavesdropping before lowering her voice even more. "The Kalos Queen, Aria."

...

...

...

...

...

"Ha, yeah right!" Ash said, rolling his eyes.

Aria blinked. "Say what now...?"

"Pika?" Pikachu asked, his mind going totally blank.

"I mean, there's _no way_ you're Aria! I mean, your hair and eyes are the same color and style as Aria's, and you look just like Aria, and your name is pretty much Aria with a couple of letters added to the end..." Ash paused for a brief moment to mull over the coincidences. "...But other than that, there's no way you're her!"

...

...

...

...

...

"You're not being serious, right...?" Nate asked with disbelief.

"Nate, what are the chances of us meeting an actual _Kalos Queen_?! Those girls are all Showcase work and no play!"

"Yep, Daddy's being serious..." deadpanned Selene.

"Pichu pi..." Pichu mumbled.

"Pika pika..." Pikachu added.

"All Showcase work?" Aria repeated, looking downright offended. " _No play_?!"

Ash blinked and tilted his head again. "Well, isn't that right, Ariana?"

"Oh, I think I can attest to the fact that being Kalos Queen is more than just 'all Showcase and no play', Ash."

"You can?" Then, Ash's eyes bulged out. "Wait a minute, don't tell me..."

Aria nodded with relief. "Yes, that's right, I'm-"

"You're a Kalos Queen too, Ariana?!"

Selene, Nate, and Aria all fell over anime-style. Then, Aria got back up with an exasperated frown and roughly grabbed Ash by the collar.

"Come with me!" she snapped.

She proceeded to drag Ash away from the food court, with Selene, Pikachu, Pichu, and Nate following right behind them. Their faces wore expressions of absolute disbelief at Ash's staggering idiocy. Once the group reached an isolated corner of the food court, Aria shoved Ash against the wall, much to the Trainer's surprise, and removed her glasses. Ash stared into Aria's red pupils for a couple of seconds before finally realizing the truth.

"NO WAY!" he cried loudly. "YOU'RE- MMPH!"

Aria immediately clasped her hand over Ash's mouth, and the redheaded teenager stared deeply into his eyes.

"Not so loud!" she whispered. After taking a brief look over her shoulder, she continued, "I can't believe I had to take off my glasses to prove who I am! Even after your friends saw through my disguise easily for whatever reason, even after I gave verbal confirmation!"

"Daddy's just dense sometimes, Auntie Aria," Selene piped up, with Nate looking down at her with surprise and concern at her complacency. "You'll learn to deal with it."

Aria looked down at Selene with absolute confusion. "W-What? Daddy?"

"Se-Selene likes calling Ash 'Daddy' a lot," Nate lied immediately. "She never got to know her real dad, so she calls Ash her daddy because he reminds her of him so much."

"Pika, pikachu," Pikachu squeaked in agreement. The Mouse Pokémon had immediately caught on to Nate's intent and agreed with him on it.

"Oh!" Aria's eyes shone with sympathy. "Why, you poor thing!"

"What?!" Selene exclaimed, the little girl looking up at Nate with puzzlement. "But Natey, he-"

"Shhhhh, just go with it," Nate whispered between clenched teeth. "We'll talk about it later."

Then, Aria looked at Nate and asked, "Wait, why'd she call me 'Auntie', then?"

"She, uh, she's a very friendly girl. She even considers strangers to be her family."

"Awwwww, that's so sweet!" Aria looked back at Selene, who was pouting at having to lie to her. "But you gotta be a bit more careful about who you consider family, sweetie. There are lots of bad strangers who will want to take advantage of that! So always read a person before you be friendly with them, okay?"

"Okay..." Selene replied grumpily, while Pichu also pouted. Celebi simply stirred in the girl's arms, trying not to make eye contact with the Kalos Queen.

"Wow," Ash remarked, continuing to stare at Aria with awe. "I can't believe I'm meeting Serena's idol in person. Serena's going to freak out when I tell her about this..."

"Oh, for the love of..." the teenage girl whispered to herself with disbelief. Then, she decided to ignore Ash's denseness from now on and simply smiled him, releasing him from her grip in the process. "It's so nice to officially meet you, Ash."

"Wait, why're you here? Don't you have better things to do? Kalos Queen things?"

"Well, to be honest..." Aria chuckled sheepishly. "I got really bored doing...Kalos Queen things..."

"Really now?" Nate asked, intrigued.

"Yeah. Anyway, I saw you guys leaving the auditorium, and I thought I'd catch up to you as Ariana. But I guess this girl Selene is way smarter than I thought." Once again, Aria looked over her shoulder momentarily for anyone who might be eavesdropping. "But you _can't_ tell anyone else. I'm gonna be buried alive by the paparazzi if they found out I'm mingling with citizens like you guys."

"Trust me, Aria," Ash replied, smiling kindly, "we won't tell a soul." Then, he frowned with seriousness. "But I don't think we'll have time to catch up with each other. Serena's performance might be coming up any second now, and there's no way we're all gonna miss it."

"Yeah, I'm aware of that." But Aria continued to smile warmly. "Don't worry, there will be a thirty-minute break after the fifth Theme Performance round."

"Wait, there's a break?"

"Yeah. Since there's a lot more Performers than usual, there was bound to be at least one. And half an hour is enough time for all of us to meet up and talk. And my goodness, there's a lot I'd like to catch up with Serena about."

"Oh, I'm sure Serena would love to meet you too! She looks up to you, like, a lot!" Ash's smile stretched from cheek to cheek. "I can't even _begin_ to imagine the look on her face when she sees you for the first time!"

Aria, Selene, Nate, Pikachu, and Pichu frowned at Ash's never-ending denseness. But Aria chose to ignore it again and simply continued to smile, though the exasperation in her forced expression was more obvious now.

"I'm sure she'd be excited too." Then, Aria took a cursory look at her wristwatch. "Uh-oh, my time's almost up. I'm very sorry, you guys, but I gotta run now."

"Awwwww, _really_?" Selene moaned.

"I'm afraid so. If I dawdle for a second too long, Palermo will get suspicious."

"Palermo, huh?" Ash asked. "Well, you tell her that Serena's friends and family say hi!"

"I'll, uh...I'll be sure to do that, Ash..."

"But I wanna get to know the young you, Auntie Aria!" Selene protested sadly.

"Pichu, pichu-pi!" Pichu squealed.

Ignoring Selene's strange wording, Aria simply patted the seven-year-old on the head. "Don't worry, honey. We will have _lots_ of time to get to know each other during the break. But for now, duty calls. Oh, and Ash..." She gave the Pallet Town boy a sly grin. "I don't have time to do it right now, but I'll be sure to prove to you that Kalos Queens are more than just 'all Showcase work and no play'."

"O-Okay..." Ash stuttered, confused and perplexed by Aria's stare.

"Alright! See you guys! Oh, and by the way..." Aria gave a charming wink at the bundle containing the obscured Celebi. "I think your Sewaddle is the cutest, Selene."

With that, Aria walked away, looking more optimistic and upbeat than ever before; there was a skip present in her step. Ash, Selene, Nate, and Pichu all watched her go while Pikachu scampered up onto Ash's shoulder. Selene let out a little sigh, relieved that Aria didn't deduce Celebi's true identity. Once the Kalos Queen was gone, they looked at each other.

"Wow, I can't believe we got to meet Aria!" Ash exclaimed. "Now, I'm not really an expert in the Showcase scene, but I do know Aria's a really big deal around Kalos! And to meet her in her _hometown_!" Suddenly, the Trainer put a finger on his chin, his brow furrowed. "You know, it makes me wonder what she's like when the Showcases are over..."

"Well, we know already," Nate replied.

"Mm-hm!" Selene added, nodding her head vigorously and with excitement.

"Oh, yeah?" Ash replied with curiosity. "How _is_ Aria from where you come from? I mean, I do remember you guys saying she's no longer the Kalos Queen back at the hotel. But how's she holding up twenty years down the road?"

"Well, she's still as great as ever," explained Nate in response. "Even after being dethroned as Kalos Queen, she's still an active Kalos celebrity."

"Really? What does she do now?"

"She's a first-class Pokémon Stylist, like her sister."

Ash's eyes widened with surprise. "Aria has a _sister_?!"

"Pika?" Pikachu asked.

"Yeah, an older sister. Her name's Paris."

"Paris, huh?" Then, Ash thought, _"Huh... That name sounds familiar..."  
_

"Anyway, Aria's married and has four kids, all girls. Nita, Evelyn, Dana, and Morgan. They're all Pokémon Performers and Morgan's the current Kalos Queen."

"Like mother, like daughter, huh?" Then, Ash's eyebrows shot up. "Wait, isn't Evelyn-?"

"Yeah, Evelyn's the last person Yancy and I are looking for." Nate then stared off at the hallway Aria left in. "You know, I probably should've asked Aria if she saw Evelyn around. Chances are she probably did..." Then, he sighed with worry. "I hope we find Evelyn soon. She's not the most confident and sociable person. Being in an unfamiliar place and time such as this would definitely reduce her to a mess within seconds."

"Don't worry, Nate," Ash replied, smiling. "We'll find Evelyn for sure. Then, we'll wait till Celebi gets fully healed, and that is when you can all go home."

"Yeah, that's right." Nate smiled back. "I shouldn't worry too much. For now, I should enjoy this Exhibition Showcase."

"Yeah, that's the spirit!"

"What's the spirit?" another voice asked. Ash, Nate, and Selene looked behind them and watched as Calem, Layla, and Moose approached them. Calem and Moose both had a tray of food and refreshments in each hand, and were struggling to balance them and avoid spilling the trays' contents. Layla, on the other hand, was holding a single soft drink cup and was smugly sipping the liquid contents through a straw.

"Hey, where in the world _were_ you guys?!" exclaimed Calem with exasperation. "We didn't see you at the table, and my hands are killing me!"

"Oh, we met Aria...na..." Ash replied, quickly adding the last part after remembering the promise he made.

"Ariana?" Layla repeated, intrigued.

"Yeah, another Performer friend of Serena's. She wants to get together with us during the break after the fifth round."

The woman smiled. "Ooh, that's lovely! I'd love to have more new faces added to the group! Especially if they're girls!"

"That's because you need more girls so you can gang up on us guys more effectively and have us be your pack mules!" Moose snapped, frowning. Then, he quickly and reluctantly added, " _Honey_."

"Well, _honey_ , it's the gentleman's job to help the ladies out with all of their supplies! Speaking of which, Ash, Nate, do be good boys and help Moose and Calem out with the trays!"

Sighing with immense relief, Calem and Moose handed Ash and Nate one tray each. To Ash and Nate's surprise, however, the trays were still heavy, being loaded to the brim with various foods and refreshments. Both teenage Trainers gagged with strain from the unreasonable weight.

"How come there's so much stuff on these?!" Nate exclaimed.

"Because we're feeding an entire family, why else?" Layla replied. "We can't afford to leave even one person out. And as Serena's family, we should be courteous to her good friends."

"You guys!"

Ash and the others saw Clemont running up to them, followed closely by Tierno and Trevor. Clemont was red-faced and panting, with beads of sweat dripping down his forehead, in spite of the short distance he had to run.

"Uncle Clemont?" Selene asked.

"Pichu-pi?" Pichu squeaked.

"What is it, guys?" Ash asked. "Is it Serena's turn?"

"Pika," added Pikachu.

"Uh-huh!" But the inventor looked flabbergasted, as were Tierno and Trevor. "But you're not gonna believe what she got as her Theme Performance!"

Ash and Nate looked at each other with confusion and surprise, while Selene's eyes widened with alarm.

* * *

Serena stepped onto her assigned platform, flanked by Braixen and Sylveon. She first looked at her faithful Braixen, who stood at her right, and the Fox Pokémon gave her Trainer a smile of confidence. Then, Serena looked down at Sylveon, who looked back up at her, from the base of her left foot, with her glittering blue eyes and her own smile of conviction. In response, Serena smiled back at both of her Pokémon, all the while proud of herself at having fostered such a trusting and loving atmosphere between her and her friends.

Then, Serena looked across her shoulders, at the two Performers who were going to compete against her in the Theme Performance. The fates couldn't have chosen any worse rivals for her.

At her right stood Sara Lee, who had her Glaceon and Leafeon by her heels. After giving Glaceon a cursory stroke on the forehead, the green-haired girl glanced across her shoulder and noticed Serena's stare. Immediately, she frowned at her with immense disapproval, prompting Serena to gasp a little. There was a fiery look of determination in the other girl's eyes, one that told Serena that Sara Lee was going to show her no mercy onstage. She was going to win this thing, no matter what.

The thing was...there was supposed to be no winner for this Showcase... It was all just in the name of fun...

Serena's look of shock faded away, and she merely gave Sara Lee a small smile of confidence. The other girl blinked with shock, before she turned her head towards the other direction with a snobbish harrumph. Her Glaceon and Leafeon also gave Braixen and Sylveon the same treatment.

Knowing that she would never reach Sara Lee's good side, Serena instead looked to her left side, where Amelia stood.

Unlike Sara Lee, Amelia chose to avoid all eye contact with Serena, but the honey-blonde knew she had to watch out for the Fleurrh City native just as much. There was a tense, dark aura around the girl of violet, which even made her Espeon and Dragonair uneasy. Her glossy lips were pursed tightly, her violet pupils were quivering slightly, and she was flexing her polished fingers like she was expecting to get into a fistfight.

From all of this, Serena _knew_ Amelia greatly despised having to compete alongside the very girl who defeated her in her own hometown...and this made Serena uneasy herself. After all, who knew if she had something nasty and underhanded planned in retaliation? Amelia seemed like the type of person who would ultimately stoop down to that level, unlike the more focused and no-nonsense Sara Lee. She had to keep an eye out for Amelia, Serena concluded.

Just then, the three girls' platforms started to rise slowly with a mechanical hum, and Serena stood rigidly at attention. Regardless of what was going to happen, one thing was for sure to the honey-blonde.

This was going to be quite the interesting Theme Performance round.

As Serena, Amelia, and Sara Lee's platforms continued to rise to the stage, Amelia surreptitiously gave Serena a devious stare...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So yeah, this was mostly a filler chapter. But still, we have a guaranteed reunion between Serena and Aria, as well as the promise of a three-way showdown between Serena, Amelia, and Sara Lee during the Theme Performance! Don't you worry, a lot of stuff will be happening in the next chapter, obviously! So stay tuned for that!
> 
> Well, hope you enjoyed the chapter! TheCartoonFanatic01 is out. PEACE!


	18. Some Soul-Searching and Pokémon Rescuing

**Nick and Sons Oil and Construction Company  
Pauvre Avenue, s** **outheastern Kiloude City**

Parker stepped out of the van and felt his feet hit hard dirt. At first, he was greeted with a strip of land so barren that it awkwardly stood out from the rest of its green, natural surroundings. Then, he watched his newfound compatriots step out of the van as well and head towards...a dilapidated, seemingly abandoned petroleum field.

Eyes widening with shock and revulsion, Parker tapped Nick's shoulder as the rotund man passed him.

"E-Excuse me," he said hesitantly, "but...what is this place...?"

"Huh?" Nick looked at the petroleum field and then smiled lovingly. "My life's work."

"I see. But...what _is_ this place?"

"Nick and Sons Oil and Construction Company, of course! Kiloude City's leading supplier of oil and gas! And also its top-rated construction company!"

" _Leading supplier of oil and gas_?" repeated a blue-haired man, whose name Parker remembered as Floyd. "HA! Nick, the last time we extracted petroleum from this dump was over a year ago, and it was only in a couple of _drops_!"

"Yeah, man," added a red-haired man, Floyd's twin Lloyd. "And we were paid two dimes for that hard work."

"And let's not forget, no one _needs_ gasoline anymore! Everyone walks nowadays!"

"And...top-rated construction company? _Really_ , Nick?" Lloyd shook his head. "We only have one client, and his name is Adam Glazing!"

"Oh, come on, guys!" Nick exclaimed, grinning from ear to ear. "It doesn't hurt to be optimistic!"

"Optimism can only get you so far, Nick," commented a serious periwinkle-haired man wearing an eyepatch. Sid, Parker believed the name was. "There comes a time when we must face the reality of the situation."

"Yeah," Floyd replied, "and the reality of the situation is that we're all a bunch of losers who can't get anywhere in life!"

But Nick's smile widened. "Not anymore!" he exclaimed. He then patted Parker's shoulder, causing the normally serious Pokémon poacher to grimace. "We've got _this guy_ on our side! Once we're done helping him, and once _he's_ done helping Adam, we'll be rich, rich beyond our wildest imaginations! Nick and Sons will be at the top of the food chain now and no one will be any wiser!"

"We can't hold onto a single penny even if our lives depended on it!" Lloyd snapped loudly.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, Nick's got a point, you guys," replied the only woman in the group, a cinnabar-haired one named Cecile. "Unlike all of us, this Parker guy's a professional and we need an actual pro in our fold. Who knows what kinds of awesomeness he can bring to the table? Now, let's all just settle down and get our bearings together while we wait for Adam to call with our next instructions. Then we'll see about our chances..." She then looked at Parker. "For now, let's give our guest something to eat and a bed to sleep in. Maybe he can watch that Exhibition Showcase thingy with us."

Parker's face didn't change at all, but in his head, he was becoming a little fearful of what these people might've defined as food and shelter...

 _"What in the world have I gotten myself into...?"_ he thought.

* * *

**Laurier Maison  
Northern Kiloude City**

"Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, let's welcome our next trio of Performers!" Monsieur Pierre announced loudly with a twirl of his staff.

Ash, Selene, and the rest of their group exploded into a loud cheer alongside the rest of the audience as they watched Serena, Braixen, and Sylveon complete their ascent to the stage on their assigned platform. Once the platform was done rising, the honey-blonde and her Pokémon looked at the audience with identical bright smiles.

"YEAH, SERENA! WHOO!" Calem roared with excitement.

"THERE'S MY LITTLE JOCKEY!" clamored Grace, her voice filled with pride.

"YOU'VE GOT THIS, SERENA!" Ash called. "YOU CAN DO IT!"

"PIKA PIKA-CHU!" Pikachu added loudly.

"GO, SERENA!" Bonnie shrieked at the top of her lungs.

"NENENE!" Dedenne squeaked.

"GO, MOMMY!" Selene cheered with a raised fist of determination. "GO, MOMMY!"

"PICHU-PI!" Pichu added enthusiastically.

Serena seemed to hear their cries of encouragement, for she looked towards their direction and gave them the brightest smile possible. All of a sudden, her sapphire-blue eyes met with Ash's auburn ones, on a random whim, and the Pallet Town Trainer immediately felt something linking them together in that small, seemingly infinitesimal moment. He could see Serena's face turning a little pink even if she was onstage, illuminated by bright lights.

Not that he blamed her, though. He could feel himself blushing as well.

**_"Do you_ want _to marry Serena? Like, do you_ want _her as your wife?"_**

Nate's questioning words filled Ash's thoughts and stubbornly remained there like a leech, prompting the Trainer's blush to strengthen noticeably. In a desperate attempt to avert her gaze and avoid any further awkwardness, Ash glanced at the other Performers competing alongside his friend...and immediately recognized them.

"Hey," he said, tapping Clemont's shoulder to get his attention. "Isn't that Amelia and Sara Lee?"

The inventor briefly adjusted his glasses to get a better look at the other two girls. It didn't take long for him to nod in affirmation.

"Yeah, that's them," he replied. He then looked at Ash. "Two new, bitter rivals competing against her at the same time? Serena's gonna have to be at the top of her game if she's gonna win this Theme Performance."

"Whoa, the stage is changing again, Daddy!" Selene suddenly squeaked, pointing excitedly at the stage.

Indeed, the entire stage was changing: the entire wall holding the small mezzanine and identical staircases was turning around, revealing a mock-skyline reminiscent of Lumiose City. A multitude of props were emerging from the walls, all of them relating to cities, such as quaint trees, fire hydrants, cobblestone streets, and so on and so forth. Once the whole transformation sequence was complete, Monsieur Pierre stood in the front and center of the stage, and held out his arms dramatically.

"Now that the stage is set and ready to go, I'll go over the rules for everyone watching at this moment!" he announced. "I'm sure you all remember the Pokémon Search-and-Rescue Theme Performance from the Brindille Town Showcase?"

"Pokémon Search-and-Rescue?" Ash asked, raising an eyebrow with curiosity. "I've never seen a Theme Performance like that..."

"That's exactly why I had you guys come over right away," Clemont replied. "This was definitely in a Pokémon Showcase that we didn't have the time to go to. It looks like Serena's in completely new territory. Not to mention it's supposed to involve Pokémon battling."

"A Pokémon battle?!" Ash's auburn eyes lit up with excitement. "That's a first! I'm doubly interested!"

"But this seems very unique for Pokémon Showcases." Clemont narrowed his eyes. "Let's hope Serena's got this..."

"Oh, it doesn't matter, Uncle Clemont!" exclaimed Selene. "Mommy can do it, no matter what! 'Cause I believe in her!"

"Pichu pichu-pi!" squeaked Pichu.

"Bi!" Celebi added.

"For those who are unaware of what it is," Pierre continued elegantly, "this is a test of wits for Pokémon Performers, to show how quickly they can solve a situation!"

The announcer gestured towards the stage, and at the same time, three steel cages emerged from the ceiling and were slowly lowered to the stage floor by robotic arms. Ash and the others in his group noticed movement in the cages, and were quick to realize there were Pokémon inside. Indeed, the large screen aimed at the audience switched to a split-screen of the Pokémon that were seemingly being held captive: a Budew in the left cage, a Happiny in the right cage, and a Togepi in the center cage. However, none of them looked fearful in the slightest.

"We've crafted a unique scenario for these Performers to enact, in which criminals have kidnapped these poor, helpless Pokémon and plan to sell them all on the black market. These Performers must free their assigned Pokémon from their cages, and then battle the captors' Pokémon using everything they've got, until all three are defeated. All the while, the Performers must take care of the Pokémon they're saving and keep a constant eye on their well-being. The first girl to complete all of that is declared the winner of this Theme Performance."

All of a sudden, Pierre held up an index finger in warning. "There is one other important thing. The enemy Pokémon _will_ prioritize recapturing the captive Pokémon. If a Performer's assigned Pokémon is touched by the enemy Pokémon in any way, then the Performer is immediately disqualified, for it indicates a Performer's inability to defend what is meant to be precious in a high-stakes situation."

"Huh," Clemont remarked as he tapped his chin with his index finger. "So it looks like Serena has to battle a small army of Pokémon in order to defend one of the other Pokémon in those cages. That sounds...pretty _familiar_..."

The inventor glanced at both Selene and Celebi, but they didn't seem to notice, for the audience cheered mightily again.

* * *

"Pokémon Search-and-Rescue, huh? ...It was a dull and uneventful Theme Performance back at Brindille Town. Rather unnecessary and violent..."

Up in her private viewing booth, Palermo stared at Serena, who was gazing determinedly towards the audience as they all cheered for her and her fellow competitors. The Showcase producer blinked idly, and then leaned in slightly to get a better look at the three Performers.

"Hopefully _she_ will lighten this Theme Performance up a little..." she remarked.

"I think she will," a voice replied. "She always does."

Palermo didn't need to look over her shoulder to know who it was. "You returned in the nick of time, Aria." She lowered her arm back down on her lap, away from her wrinkled face. "That girl's turn has just begun."

"I see," Aria remarked as she sat down beside her mentor. "So, what's the Theme Performance this time?"

"The one from Brindille Town."

"Pokémon Search-and-Rescue?" Aria's red eyes lit up with understanding. "Ohhh, I remember seeing that on Pokévision! It's probably the only one I've heard of that requires battling. It's not really the typical Showcase style, but it's practical in some ways. Either way, it sure is quite the tense Theme Performance!"

"Something tells me we watched two different Showcases, dear..." Palermo replied dryly.

Aria ignored her mentor and remarked, almost to herself, "I don't think Serena's done this one before. And it's such an atypical Theme Performance round. Let's see how she handles it..."

* * *

In his own viewing booth, Adam Glazing smirked as he observed Amelia. His niece was sticking her chin up higher as she relished in the audience's excited uproar, and there was a certain smirk of her own on her makeup-coated face. She had a look that could only indicate her willingness to win, no matter what the cost was.

He was _definitely_ going to enjoy this Theme Performance.

* * *

"And now," Pierre said, as the cheering died down, "let me read this, uh, this required disclaimer..." He pulled out a card from his breast pocket and read it aloud. "In accordance with League Competition Committee rules and regulations, the Pokémon Showcase Committee and the Kiloude City Exhibition Showcase Supervisory Team hereby affirm their ongoing commitment to the safety of all Pokémon involved in this Theme Performance. In no way are these Budew, Happiny, and Togepi being held against their will. They have all been trained and appropriately prepared for this mock scenario, and they have all consented to the terms of their participation."

Then, the Showcase announcer seemed to hold back an annoyed sigh as he crumpled up the card and casually tossed it aside. "Now then, time to begin the third round of our Theme Performance! Protect those Pokémon, girls!"

_**SERENA VS. AMELIA VS. SARA LEE** _

"Alright, Braixen, Sylveon!" Serena exclaimed loudly, pointing towards the cage containing the Togepi. "Let's go free that Pokémon!"

"Get on it, Glaceon, Leafeon!" Sara Lee ordered as her Pokémon sprinted towards the cage containing the Budew. "Go, go, go!"

"You know what to do, Espeon," Amelia said calmly, her eyes closed as she nonchalantly gestured at the cage containing the Happiny. "Do not disappoint me."

Espeon used its Psychic to bend the bars open on Happiny's cage, allowing the Playhouse Pokémon to slip through with ease. Upon stepping out of her confines, Happiny started hopping up and down jubilantly.

"And Amelia has already freed her Pokémon!" Pierre announced. "What a quick and magnificent development!"

Amelia smirked as a section of the audience cheered loudly for her. "Well, it's only natural that _I_ save my Pokémon first without dawdling whatsoever," she boasted. "Now, I'll just get the enemy Pokémon out of the way..."

Just then, she noticed the Happiny waddling towards her, a wide and excited smile on her face. Inwardly grimacing, the Performer raised a hand, prompting the Playhouse Pokémon to stop in her tracks.

"Not now," she said, ignoring Happiny's confused head-tilt. "You'll get your loving when I take care of the competition."

Meanwhile, Serena, Braixen, and Sylveon had already run up to the Togepi's cage. She looked inside and was greeted by the smiling Spike Ball Pokémon. Her heart melted at the sight of it, and she smiled back.

"Hi there!" she greeted.

"Toge, toge-priiiii!" chirped Togepi with excitement.

"Alright. Now..." Serena did a cursory examination of the cage. "I'm gonna need you to step away from the bars, Togepi. Do you think you can do that?"

Togepi nodded and walked towards the other end of the cage, away from the bars Serena had her sights on. Then, the honey-blonde Performer pointed towards the cage.

"Now, Sylveon!" she cried. "I need you to hold on to the cage with your feelers!"

"Syl!" Sylveon replied, before wrapping her feelers around the cage's sides. Togepi hopped with excitement and placed a tiny paw on one of the feelers.

"Braixen," Serena said next, "use Scratch on those bars!"

The Fox Pokémon nodded before scratching at the cage's front bars with its claws, leaving behind trails of white energy in the process. The cage rocked a little, but it was held secure by Sylveon's feelers. A second later, the bars fell over, cut as cleanly as fruit. Togepi jumped happily again before hopping out of the cage. Serena giggled as she took the Spike Ball Pokémon in her arms.

"And now Serena has freed her Pokémon!" Pierre announced. "Such a quick-thinking Performer!"

Serena heard, through the clamor of voices roaring in support of her, Ash's excited and enthusiastic cheering. She smiled and hugged Togepi a little, much to its delight.

"Now," continued Pierre, "how's Sara Lee doing?"

Serena looked at Sara Lee's direction...and stifled a laugh.

The green-haired Performer still hadn't freed her Pokémon. She was rapidly, desperately looking back and forth between her Glaceon, her Leafeon, and the Budew's cage. Apparently, her Pokémon didn't have any moves that she could use to free Budew without hitting or endangering it in the process. Sara Lee's teeth were clenched together, and her normally confident green eyes were narrowed with a combination of frustration and worry.

"Ohhh, I guess Sara Lee's having trouble on her end," Pierre commented. "Unfortunately, this Theme Performance can't wait for her any longer. It's time to send out the enemy Pokémon!"

"Wait, what?!" Sara Lee exclaimed, turning around in alarm as three doors slowly opened up in the wall behind her.

Serena narrowed her eyes at the doors, while Braixen and Sylveon stood in front of her and Togepi, prepared to protect them at any cost. Amelia's Espeon and Dragonair also glared at the doors, but their Trainer was casually checking on her fingernails, seemingly unconcerned about the threats that lay ahead.

At first, it didn't seem like there was anything behind the doors. But, a couple of moments later, three Pokémon stepped through the doorways, and Serena tightened her grip on Togepi, even though she knew the whole thing was supposed to be staged.

A Houndoom barked loudly at Serena, Braixen, Sylveon, and Togepi, its razor-sharp claws glinting in the spotlights.

A Scyther slashed a few times at the air in a show of power towards Amelia, Espeon, Dragonair, and Happiny, but Amelia was still examining her fingernails nonchalantly.

Finally, a Metang floated in the air, silently staring down Sara Lee, Glaceon, and Leafeon; Sara Lee felt her skin crawl at the sight of the Iron Claw Pokémon.

"H-H-Ho-Hold on!" the green-haired girl stuttered. Her head turned towards Monsieur Pierre with grave concern. "I-I still haven't freed my Pokémon!"

"Then you must find a way to do that while holding off the enemy Pokémon at the same time," Pierre replied. "After all, a Performer must always be prepared to do the right thing at all costs! Now, let us begin the second stage! _Comme c'est excitant_!"

Houndoom fired a Flamethrower at Serena's direction, but she was ready for it.

"Use Fire Blast, Braixen!" she commanded.

Braixen releases a kanji-shaped blast of yellow-orange fire from its stick, which intercepted Houndoom's Flamethrower and triggered a small explosion of flames.

Meanwhile, Scyther dashed towards Amelia and her Pokémon, its scythes ready to attack.

"Use Psychic, Espeon," Amelia ordered in a bored voice.

Scyther suddenly froze in mid-movement, its outline glowing in a pinkish-purple aura. Then, it was lifted into the air and thrown into the wall, sending small pieces of debris onto the stage.

As for Metang, it formed a stream of purple energy between its hands, causing Sara Lee's eyes to widen with concern. It then fired a purple beam of aura from its hands, which barreled towards Glaceon and Leafeon.

"Glaceon, use Ice Beam!" the green-haired girl ordered, thinking off the top of her head. "Leafeon, use Magical Leaf!"

Glaceon's Ice Beam intercepted Metang's attack and froze it, only for the powerful purple energy to easily break through seconds later. It then penetrated and dispelled Leafeon's Magical Leaf without much effort, before striking both of Sara Lee's Pokémon and sending them flying.

Serena saw this and considered helping her fellow Performer for a brief moment. But then, her attention was recaptured by the Houndoom, which was dashing towards Braixen, its fangs engulfed in flames.

"Sylveon!" she cried. "Protect Braixen with Swift!"

The Intertwining Pokémon jumped into the air and swished its tail, releasing a flurry of sparkling yellow stars. The stars bombarded Houndoom relentlessly, forcing it to abruptly stop before it could complete its attack.

"Now use Hidden Power, Braixen!"

A light-blue sphere of energy formed in front of Braixen's paws, and the Fox Pokémon fired it towards Houndoom with all of her strength. The Dark Pokémon didn't see the incoming attack through the dark, billowing bank of smoke, and it was sent flying into the wall.

"It looks like Serena and Amelia are holding their own against Houndoom and Scyther!" Pierre cried. "Which one of them will defeat the enemy Pokémon first?!"

Serena looked at Amelia, who didn't seem to be doing anything beyond examining her manicure and nonchalantly giving orders, as if the whole Theme Performance was a total bore for her. The Vaniville Town native didn't know whether to be irritated by her attitude or impressed by the fact that Amelia's Espeon had Scyther totally matched. Amelia's Dragonair didn't even join its teammate, leaving Serena to wonder how effective it was in battle on its own right.

Then, Serena noticed the Happiny that was assigned to Amelia. It was looking up at the Performer, expecting some sort of attention from her, only to not get any.

"RAWR!"

Serena looked back at Braixen and Sylveon, and saw that Houndoom had gotten back up.

"Braixen, use Fire Blast again!" she commanded.

Braixen prepared to fire the attack...only for Scyther to suddenly collide into her. Houndoom fired a Flamethrower past Braixen and hit Sylveon, who was sent skidding across the stage.

"Braixen!" Serena cried. "Sylveon!" She then glared at Amelia, whose Espeon had just completed using another Psychic attack. "Hey, you threw that Scyther into my Pokémon!"

"My mistake," Amelia replied nonchalantly as she checked her ring finger.

"And so Amelia's battle has spilled into Serena's, with disastrous consequences for Serena!" Pierre announced.

Serena looked back at her fallen Pokémon. "Are you guys okay?" she asked. Fortunately, Braixen and Sylveon stood back up and smiled at her. "Alright! Now then, Braixen use-"

Without warning, Scyther slashed at Braixen with its scythes, forcing the Fox Pokémon to jump away from it. Houndoom then followed that up with another Flamethrower, which barreled past Scyther, towards Sylveon.

"Sylveon, dodge!" Serena screamed.

The Intertwining Pokémon jumped away, with the Fire-type attack missing by mere inches. But once she landed back on the stage floor, Scyther struck Sylveon with its scythes. Braixen tried to defend her friend and teammate by using a Fire Blast on the Bug-type, but Houndoom jumped into the air and bit down on her arm with Fire Fang.

"BRAIXEN! SYLVEON!" Serena glared at Monsieur Pierre. "Is this supposed to happen?!"

"I didn't say the Performers had to fight one Pokémon and one only," Pierre replied. "You're all supposed to be defending the Pokémon you freed. Only when you defeat most, if not all, of the enemy Pokémon will you be declared the winner."

 _"All of the enemy Pokémon?"_ Serena thought with shock.

Just then, Serena's attention was caught by Houndoom again. Braixen had managed to rip herself free from its Fire Fang attack, but it then fired a Flamethrower at her. Serena narrowed her eyes at the Dark Pokémon.

"Braixen, dodge!" When the Fox Pokémon did so, Serena began, "Now, use-"

However, a pinkish-purple aura enveloped Houndoom's outline, and it was sent flying into the wall again. Serena glared at Amelia, who was now readjusting the bow on her dress. She could've sworn she saw the ghost of a smirk on the girl's face...

"Syl! Syl! Sylvie!"

Serena looked at Sylveon next, and saw that the Intertwining Pokémon was constantly dodging powerful, violent slashes from Scyther's scythes.

"Sylveon, use Swift!"

Sylveon promptly jumped into the air, avoiding yet another couple of slashes from Scyther, and released another flurry of stars at her opponent. The Mantis Pokémon shielded its face as it was bombarded several times. Serena then pointed at Scyther.

"Now's our chance, Braixen! Use Flamethrower!"

The Fox Pokémon fired a stream of flames at Scyther, and this time, the attack found its target. The Mantis Pokémon let out a howl as it fell to the stage floor. It struggled to get back up, only for Amelia's Espeon to use Psychic and propel its body into the recovering Houndoom. Serena glared at Amelia again, and was not surprised to see her almost dozing off from absolute boredom. The Happiny was still trying to get her attention.

At that moment, Serena realized Amelia's strategy: she was putting the burden of weakening the enemy Pokémon solely on her shoulders, and once these Pokémon were weak and vulnerable enough, she would then come in with the finishing blows. The honey-blonde Performer clenched her fists at the thought of being used like that.

"NO!" Sara Lee suddenly shouted, her voice filling the stage. "GLACEON! LEAFEON!"

Serena looked across her shoulder and saw that Sara Lee was having an even worse time than her. Glaceon and Leafeon were trying to hold their own against Metang, but it seemed to anticipate their attacks at every turn. Even worse, Sara Lee still hadn't managed to free the Budew from the confines of its cage. The green-haired girl's face was turning redder and redder with embarrassment by the second.

Indeed, Monsieur Pierre said, "Ohhhhh, it looks like Sara Lee is having a problem with trying to free her baby Pokémon and fight off the enemy Pokémon at the same time! Will she be able to catch up with Serena and Amelia in time?!"

Upon realizing how far behind Sara Lee was in the competition in comparison to her and Amelia, Serena suddenly felt a pang of unexpected sympathy for her.

"BRAI!"

Serena looked back at Braixen's direction and saw her and Sylveon being attacked by Houndoom, who had been firing a barrage of Flamethrowers from left and right for several seconds now. As for Scyther, it had its focus back on Amelia and her Pokémon, but Espeon's Psychic attacks were warding the Mantis Pokémon off with ease while Amelia and Dragonair were still watching nonchalantly from the sidelines.

"Braixen, use Fire Blast!" Serena commanded. "Sylveon, follow it up with Fairy Wind!"

Braixen fired a Fire Blast at Houndoom's direction, sending it flying into the air. Sylveon then pulled its feelers together, and the air around them started to glow light-blue. Immediately afterwards, the Intertwining Pokémon spread its feelers wide open, triggering a strong gust of wind that barreled towards Houndoom. Upon seeing this, the Dark Pokémon tried to recover from Braixen's Fire Blast as quickly as it could and dodge, but it was too late: it was blown away by Sylveon's Fairy Wind and sent flying into the wall once again.

With Houndoom incapacitated, Serena turned her attention towards Sara Lee.

"Braixen, use Flamethrower!" she ordered, pointing at Metang.

Braixen fired another stream of flames towards the Iron Claw Pokémon, hitting it and sending it spiraling through the air. Sara Lee gasped at this and looked at Serena.

"Wh-What're you _doing_?!" she exclaimed.

"Helping you out!"

"Wow, what a surprising turn of events!" Pierre cried. "Serena has decided to come to Sara Lee's assistance! But will her help be enough for Sara Lee?! And will Serena have to choose between winning the Theme Performance, or giving the competition a head-start?!"

With that, the audience started cheering loudly, their cacophony of excitement rocking the auditorium. Sara Lee looked towards the crowd, surprised that they would be accepting of this newest development. She then looked back at Serena and gave her an angry frown.

"I don't need your help!" she cried defiantly. "I can handle this on my own!"

Suddenly, Serena's eyes bulged as she pointed and shouted, "WATCH OUT!"

Metang had just recovered from Braixen's Flamethrower and was now charging towards Glaceon and Leafeon. A small, light-blue force-field was forming over its head, and white trails of energy were leaking from its body.

"Dodge, Glaceon, Leafeon!" Sara Lee ordered.

Glaceon and Leafeon both hopped out of the way, just in time to avoid Metang's newest attack. The Iron Claw Pokémon stopped, turned around, and charged back at Glaceon, one of its thick, three-clawed arms glowing a brilliant silver light.

"Use Ice Beam, Glaceon!"

Glaceon opened its mouth, and a light-blue sphere of cold energy started to form in front of it. From that sphere came a barrage of light-blue beams, which struck Metang's glowing arm and freezing it. But this didn't deter Metang, who simply raised its other arm as it started to glow, and punched at Glaceon. Fortunately, the Fresh Snow Pokémon jumped out of the way.

"Sara Lee!" Serena called, holding Togepi more tightly in her arms. "Do any of your Pokémon know any cutting moves?!"

Sara Lee looked at her reluctantly for a brief moment before replying, "No!"

"Okay..." Serena began to think quickly. "Uhhhhh...how about biting moves?!"

The Performer gave a quick glance towards Glaceon, and then responded, "My Glaceon knows Bite! But I-I don't see how that'll-"

"No, that's perfect, Sara Lee!" interrupted Serena. She then looked down at Sylveon. "Sylveon, hold on to the cage with your feelers, like last time!"

Sylveon nodded and obeyed her Trainer's orders, prompting Budew to jump repeatedly with excitement at finally being able to get out of its cage. Once that was done, Serena looked at Sara Lee, who was looking at her with befuddlement.

"Now, Sara Lee!" she yelled.

Realizing what Serena's plan was, Sara Lee pointed at Budew's cage. "Glaceon!" she cried. "Use Bite on those bars!"

Glaceon started sprinting towards the cage, its fangs elongating and glowing white. Metang saw this and hovered after the Fresh Snow Pokémon, but Sara Lee pointed at it.

"Leafeon, use Giga Drain!"

Leafeon fired a green beam from the green, leaf-shaped sprout on its forehead. The beam wrapped itself around Metang and started draining it of its energy. However, this did not last long, for the Iron Claw Pokémon was able to break itself free and charge towards Leafeon.

"Braixen, use Fire Blast!" Serena commanded.

Braixen fired another kanji-shaped blast of flames, which struck Metang and sent it spiraling through the air again. This time, it was critically wounded.

These momentary distractions gave Glaceon enough time to reach Budew's cage.

"GLAAAAAIIIII..." Glaceon howled as it dove towards the bars. "CEOOOOON!"

Using all of the force it could muster, the Fresh Snow Pokémon bit down on three of the steel bars, shattering them in a mere second. All the while, Serena's Sylveon held on tightly to the cage, making sure it didn't buck from Glaceon's Bite.

"MARVELOUS!" Monsieur Pierre cried. "Sara Lee and Serena have worked together to free Budew from its cage!"

Budew chirped happily as it hopped out of the cage and spun around a little. Smiling with happiness, Sara Lee stepped forward, picked up the Bud Pokémon, and cradled it in her arms. She then gave Serena a conflicted stare, unsure if she should take the time to express her gratitude or not.

Just then, her attention was diverted back to Metang, which had just knocked Leafeon away with a Metal Claw attack.

"LEAFEON!" she cried. "Glaceon, use-"

"Espeon, use Psychic," Amelia suddenly ordered nonchalantly.

Scyther was suddenly sent flying towards Metang, who didn't have enough time to dodge; both Pokémon were knocked down to the stage floor. Serena and Sara Lee looked at Amelia, who was smirking arrogantly as her Espeon then focused all of its strength on Houndoom. Sara Lee narrowed her eyes and pointed at Metang and Scyther.

"Glaceon, use Ice Beam!"

Glaceon fired the attack at both fallen Pokémon, freezing them to the floor. But, whereas Scyther couldn't break free and was actively being hurt by the super-effective Ice-type move, Metang shrugged off the minimized damage and hovered back into the air. Serena and Sara Lee both pointed at the Iron Claw Pokémon determinedly.

"Sylveon/Glaceon!" they hollered at the same time. "Use Fairy Wind/Ice Shard!"

Sylveon fired the Fairy-type move, while Glaceon fired multiple shards of ice from its mouth as its forehead glowed light-blue. Both attacks hit Metang at the same time, drawing out a high-pitched robotic cry from it. Just a mere second later, it collapsed to the stage floor, knocked out.

"And Metang is knocked out by the combined attacks of Sara Lee's Glaceon and Serena's Sylveon!" Pierre proclaimed. "Now, either girl must beat both Houndoom and Scyther in order to win the Theme Performance! Or will Amelia get the opportunity to steal both defeats from them?!"

Amelia gritted her teeth, realizing that she shouldn't dawdle any longer. Finally, the wealthy girl stopped paying attention to her manicure, instead raising her hand and snapping her fingers. Dragonair's head twitched towards her, the Dragon-type Pokémon now at full attention.

"Dragonair," the Fleurrh City native said calmly, "do be a dear and use Dragon Rush."

A light-purple sphere enveloped Dragonair's entire body before transforming into a blue, dragon-shaped "suit" of energy. It then flew towards Houndoom as fast as it possibly could, light-purple beams of energy trailing from it in the process. Houndoom fired a barrage of Flamethrowers at it, but they all proved to be useless. Moments later, the Dragon Pokémon slammed into Houndoom and sent it flying into the wall yet again, knocking it out.

" _Happiiiiiny_!" a voice squeaked with terror.

Serena looked and gasped in horror upon seeing a frightened Happiny scurrying away from stray flying debris. When one particularly big block of debris was close to hitting the Playhouse Pokémon, the honey-blonde pointed at it on reflex.

"Braixen!" she cried loudly. "Use Hidden Power to help Happiny, quick!"

The Fox Pokémon fired the attack at the block of debris, and it was shattered into smaller pieces that harmlessly pelted Happiny. Upon realizing what had just happened, a vast majority of the audience gasped in shock at the close call.

"Oh, my goodness!" Pierre cried into his microphone. "Serena and her Braixen just protected Happiny from the debris! It is a miracle Happiny wasn't hurt at all! Truly a miracle, indeed!"

Unaware of what had just happened, Amelia pointed her chin towards Scyther. The Bug-type was still weakly struggling to yank itself free from Glaceon's ice, which kept it rooted to the stage floor.

"Dragonair, use Dragon Rush again, this time on that disgusting Scyther," she ordered calmly and collectively.

Dragonair's body became enveloped in the dragon-shaped energy again, and Scyther could only watch helplessly as the Dragon Pokémon approached its position at high speeds. A few moments later, both Pokémon collided, and Scyther was sent skidding along the stage floor. The Mantis Pokémon nearly hit Glaceon and Leafeon as it went along, forcing both of Sara Lee's Pokémon to run to a safe distance. The audience groaned at the real, reckless endangerment of Pokémon that was being displayed onstage, and some even booed, Selene and Bonnie included.

Serena was also beside herself in regards to Amelia's behavior. "Hey, Amelia!" she called angrily. "You and your Pokémon really need to watch yourself out on the stage! You actually could've gotten a Pokémon hurt today! It's not right!"

"Y-Yes, Amelia," Pierre added, trying his best to compose himself in the wake of this stunning turn of events. "I can't- I-I mean, the Showcase Committee can't afford to have the LCC breathing down its neck."

"What?!" Amelia snapped angrily, offended at having been called out. She proceeded to glare at Serena hatefully. "I'm just trying to win the competition! I don't need _your_ input, hillbilly! I-"

She was abruptly cut off by Scyther, who stood up and angrily charged at Dragonair. Before the Dragon Pokémon could react, the Mantis Pokémon slashed at it with its scythes, knocking it backward.

"NO, DRAGONAIR!" Amelia squeaked with disbelief. "MY DEAR!"

Dragonair landed beside Espeon, letting out a cry of pain in the process. Espeon looked at its teammate with concern.

"ESPEON, DON'T JUST STAND THERE!" Amelia cried, her voice cracking as she regained the Sun Pokémon's attention. "I NEED YOU TO USE PSYCHIC ON THAT SCYTHER AND WIN ME THIS THEME PERFORMANCE!"

Espeon nodded loyally and then glared at Scyther, its eyes glowing pink. The Mantis Pokémon was lifted into the air by an unseen force before being slammed into the wall.

Amelia grinned triumphantly and raised an arm. "YEAH!"

But unfortunately, Scyther wasn't out for the count. It stood up, shook its head for a moment, and then stared angrily at Espeon. The Sun Pokémon immediately cowered at the Bug-type's sharp and menacing gaze.

"DON'T JUST STAND THERE, ESPEON! USE PSYCHIC AGAIN-!"

Scyther propelled itself forward, its scythes ready. Before Espeon could react, it was slashed by the Bug-type Pokémon's weapons as well. It landed in front of Amelia's feet, seriously hurt by the critical hit. The Fleurrh City native gasped and looked up to see Scyther targeting Dragonair next. The Mantis Pokémon's eyes were alive with legitimate fury at having been attacked so relentlessly like that.

"DRAGONAIR!" she shouted. "USE-!"

But it was too late. Dragonair fell to the stage floor, defeated by Scyther's attacks. The Mantis Pokémon glared at Amelia next, and the Performer froze. There was no mistaking the irritation and hatred in its eyes.

Scyther prepared to charge...

"NOW, BRAIXEN!" Serena suddenly ordered. "USE FLAMETHROWER TO END THIS! QUICK!"

A stream of fire scorched the Mantis Pokémon. It cried out briefly and weakly before collapsing to the floor, knocked out. Amelia simply stood there, watching with wide, befuddled eyes as an awkward silence enveloped the Showcase Theater stage. Even Monsieur Pierre did not have anything to comment on, for he too was flabbergasted by the unexpected and disconcerting turn of events.

...

Realizing what was happening, Serena turned towards the audience, smiled widely, and gave them a charming wink and a V-sign with her fingers, whilst Braixen and Sylveon posed at her sides. As for Togepi, it chirped happily and waved its stubby arms enthusiastically.

This prompted the audience to erupt into a tremendous cheer, probably its loudest yet. More than a few leaped up from their seats, Ash and his group included, to applaud Serena's performance.

Several seconds of this passed before Monsieur Pierre realized the audience was now reinvested in the Showcase again. Clearing his throat, he proclaimed into his microphone, "A-And we have a winner, ladies and gentlemen! Serena Gabena of Vaniville Town takes the victory of the Pokémon Search-and-Rescue Theme Performance!"

The cheering intensified, and Serena and her Pokémon did a bow for the audience. As for Amelia and Sara Lee, the both of them merely gawked blankly at their fellow Performer.

"A-And now," Pierre continued, trying to stick to his script despite the unconventional Theme Performance, "we will take a brief intermission while we clean this stage up! So, uh, g-go refill your refreshments while you wait for the next Theme Performance, ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls! And remember, after that, we'll have two more Theme Performances for everyone to enjoy and then we'll all be taking a thirty-minute break!"

* * *

When Serena reached the dressing room, she was immediately greeted with a tight hug from an exuberant Yancy.

"You were so _amazing_ , Mo- uh, Serena!" the pink-haired girl squealed, her blue eyes shimmering brightly like the distant ocean during a clear, sunny day. "Not only did you save that Togepi, but you helped that other girl out with her Pokémon and saved Amelia and her Pokémon from that Scyther!"

"O-Oh," Serena replied, overwhelmed by the praise from her future daughter. "Th-Thanks, Yancy-"

"Wow, Serena," interrupted Shauna as she approached her, followed by Miette, Nini, Blanche, Kazalie, and Shulin. "That was quite the search-and-rescue."

Serena chuckled with an embarrassed blush. "I know. That was a new one for me to learn. Maybe I should've paid more attention to the Showcases that I didn't have a chance to go to..." Then, she looked at Braixen and then at Sylveon. "But at least I had both of my Pokémon here to help me out."

"Braixen!" Braixen barked, and the Fox Pokémon smiled back at her Trainer in agreement.

"Eon!" Sylveon added.

"Pancham, cham-cham!" Pancham suddenly exclaimed. The Playful Pokémon ran up to Sylveon with a paw raised in the air. The Intertwining Pokémon smiled sweetly and gave him a high-five with one of her feelers.

Just then, the group of Performers spotted Amelia, Sara Lee, and their Pokémon as they too entered the dressing room. Serena's eyes met with Amelia's for less than a second before the dark-haired girl gritted her teeth, scowled, and turned her head away with a grunt. Serena felt her skin crawl at this reaction, and she realized that her image definitely didn't improve in the eyes of the teenage socialite.

Then, Serena looked at Sara Lee, who was initially staring at the ground glumly. Then, the green-haired girl seemed to sense Serena's stare, for she looked up at her and gave her a confused, conflicted expression. The Vaniville Town native narrowed her blue eyes slightly in response. She hoped to signal to Sara Lee that, in spite of how she looked down on her views of Pokémon Showcases, she, Serena, still managed to win the Theme Performance and even saved her from embarrassing herself in front of a massive audience.

She did not know if Sara Lee got the message, for Concetta suddenly leaped up from her chair and waved frantically at Sara Lee, beckoning her to join her. Sara Lee looked towards her friend for a brief moment, then back at Serena, before acquiescing to Concetta's request and walking away from Serena. As she did, her posture was noticeably slouched, and a certain light was absent in the girl's green eyes.

Serena watched Sara Lee go for a moment. Then, her lips curved into a small but proud smile.

* * *

**About an hour later**

It did not take long for the Laurier Maison staff to clean up the mess Amelia's Dragonair made on the stage. Afterwards, the remaining two Theme Performances preceding the break were executed without a hitch.

The first of the two Theme Performances was a Poké Puff Baking competition, which proved to be rather dull compared to the one at Dendemille Town. The Performer with the Honchkrow from the Fleurrh Showcase, the Performer with the Smeargle from the Couriway Showcase, and the Performer with the Kirlia from the Coumarine Showcase were selected as participants. But through a twist of fate, all three of them were terrible cooks, and the judging panel (Poké Puff maker Gena, Showcase expert Delilah, Pokémon Connoisseur Santo, and their Pokémon, once again) were burdened with the task of evaluating which of the three Performers was the least worst cook with a straight face.

Then, the second Theme Performance was another competition that Serena had never heard of, Pokémon Nursing. Much like Pokémon Search-and-Rescue, the three Performers were assigned to a baby Pokémon, but unlike Pokémon Search-and-Rescue, it didn't involve any battling. Instead, the Performers had to fill a Nurse Joy-like role and take care of their baby Pokémon in lieu of their mothers for a set amount of time. Their performances were thoroughly evaluated by Santo and two other S-Rank Pokémon Connoisseurs, and the one who scored the best rating from them won the competition.

To everyone's delight, Miette was randomly chosen to participate in that Theme Performance, alongside Kayleigh and the Performer with the Pansage, Pansear, and Panpour from the Couriway Showcase. Miette was assigned a Cleffa, Kayleigh a Tyrogue, and the third Performer a Chingling.

Miette outperformed her fellow competitors with great ease, being able to charm Cleffa with just a few soothing words and rubs. The Star Shape Pokémon even became comfortable enough to play with Miette's consenting Slurpuff. However, Kayleigh didn't fare as well as Miette, for Tyrogue was distant and aggressive, and she couldn't figure out a way to break through his shell. As for the third Performer, her ability to take care of Chingling was constantly hampered by a strangely emotional, blue-haired man in the audience, who reminded Serena of James. He kept trying to shout tips to her from his seat, eventually prompting Laurier Maison staff to kick him out of the auditorium.

Not unexpectedly, Miette won that Theme Performance, much to the delight of Serena, Yancy, and their group.

"Whew!" Miette exclaimed as she stretched out her arms. "I gotta say, taking care of that Cleffa was a lot of hard work!"

"What're you talking about?" Shauna asked. "You did great out there, Miette!"

Serena, Yancy, and their friends had just exited the dressing room, and they were wearing their original uniforms. They were followed by some of the other Performers, who were exuberant at the opportunity of taking a little break from the Showcase proceedings.

Miette shrugged in response to Shauna's compliment. "I don't know. I've never really given a lot of thought about raising _anything_ , be they human or Pokémon. I only won that round because I had my sights on winning." She briefly fell silent as she stared at Blanche, Kazalie, and Shulin, who were out of earshot, fortunately. "Hey, Yancy..."

"Yes, Auntie Miette?" Yancy replied.

"What am I like as a mom?"

Yancy's eyes widened, and her face turned into a bright shade of pink. At that moment, Serena remembered her future daughter's earlier description of the future Miette.

"W-W-We-Well, y-you're, uhhhhh..." the pink-haired girl stuttered. "Y-You see, A-Auntie, y-you're, uh-"

"Serena!" a familiar voice called.

Serena and the others were quick to see Ash and his group approaching them. Before she knew it, Serena found herself being embraced by...

"A-A- _ASH_?!" she squeaked loudly, her face turning just as pink as Yancy's hair.

Ash broke the hug, smiled widely at her, and said excitedly, with one breath, "You were _awesome_ onstage! The way you helped out Sara Lee and saved that Happiny from Amelia's recklessness?! That was, just, astounding, Serena! It-It was just so, so... _so_..." Ash's auburn eyes started to shine with intense passion, overwhelming the poor honey-blonde. "I just can't find the words for it! That's how awesome you were!"

"O-Oh!" Serena's blush deepened at her crush's praise, and she started fidgeting with her fingers. "Th-Th-Thank you v-v-very much, Ash..."

All of a sudden, the excitement in Ash's face faded away in an instant, leaving Serena puzzled by the sudden shift. Now, he was staring deeply, yet distantly, into her eyes. Serena's blush faded away as well, but a rosy-pink tinge was left on her cheeks. Nevertheless, she did not back down. Instead, she stared back into Ash's own eyes, and she suddenly was able to tell that her crush was now thinking of something more... _personal_...

But what could it be...?

"Hey, lovebirds," Miette said, her singsong tone teasing and her expression crafty, "are you gonna stare at each other all day long? Or are we gonna check out the Laurier Maison?" She crossed her arms. "We still have an Exhibition Showcase to worry about, you know."

Realizing what they were just doing, Serena and Ash looked away, their faces pink. Everyone stared at them with poker-faced expressions, Bonnie and Selene especially. Dedenne and Pichu also looked at each other and nodded knowingly.

"Alright!" Blanche exclaimed suddenly, clapping her hands together. "Now that we're all set up, let's go exploring!"

"Ooh, ooh, I wanna see what else the Laurier Maison has to offer!" squealed Kazalie, her fists clenched with enthusiasm.

"I just can't wait to check out the boutiques..." Shulin remarked longingly.

Shauna's eyes suddenly lit up as she said, "Oh, I know what _I_ wanna do while we wait for the break to be over!"

"And that is...?" Nini asked, looking at her fellow Performer with curiosity. The nearby Calem suddenly felt a cold bead of sweat breaking out on his forehead.

"Ohhhhh, I think _I_ know the answer..." a voice replied knowingly.

Serena's eyes widened with surprise. "That voice..."

The Performers looked further down the hallway towards the dressing room and saw...

"Aria!" Serena cried happily. Then, upon seeing the Kalos Queen's peculiar glasses and outfit, she quickly added, "Na!"

"Ariana...?" Shauna, Miette, and Nini asked at the same time.

The disguised Aria waved at Serena with a charming smile, and the honey-blonde suddenly felt a little humbled by her presence.

"Hi, Serena!" she replied. "Long time, no see!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And this concludes the newest chapter! Sorry about the minimal AmourShipping hints here, guys. I realized from your previous reviews that was why the review count was getting lower with every new chapter. But don't fret! Now that we're taking a break from the Exhibition Showcase, the next chapter will be full of AmourShipping hints. AmourShipping hints galore to come, everyone! :D :D :D :D :D
> 
> Now, as you can see in this chapter, there were two original Theme Performances that I made up on my own. Since the amount of Showcase-centered episodes in the anime was a bit low, even though there definitely had to have been many Showcases held around Kalos, I decided to get a little creative with the Theme Performance phase. Now, before anyone can point it out in their reviews, yes, I actually realized midway into writing down the scenario that the Pokémon Search-and-Rescue Theme Performance wasn't exactly cut out as Showcase material, since there was quite a heavy emphasis in battling. I couldn't start from scratch, though, so I ultimately chose to keep it in the fic. But I plan on there being many repercussions from this unconventional Theme Performance. ;)
> 
> Well, hope you enjoyed this chapter! TheCartoonFanatic01 is out. PEACE!


	19. Shop Till You Drop

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, everyone! I'm so sorry that it took me so long to update this for you all. I had to take care of a few things over the last several days. But now, I believe it's time for another update! Let's get on with it! This is going to be chock-full of AmourShipping hints, so consider this an appropriate atonement for the wait you had to endure. :D :D :D

**Laurier Maison**

"Serena?" Miette asked, staring at the disguised Aria with curiosity. "Who's she?"

"Oh!" Serena gestured to Aria, who gave the other Performers a friendly little wave. "This is Ariana! I met her after the Coumarine Showcase. She's the one who helped me out of my little slump."

"Oh, don't say that, Serena!" Aria replied. "You helped yourself out. I just gave you a little helping hand, that's all."

"Either way," said Shauna, "it's nice to meet you. I'm-"

"It's alright, I already know your names. I've seen you all in prior Showcases. Let's see." Aria pointed at each Performer in the group in turn. "You're Shauna... You're Miette... You're Nini..." When those three Performers nodded in affirmation, the redheaded girl continued. "Blanche, Kazalie, and..." She paused for a moment when she settled on Shulin. "Shulin, is that right?"

"That's right!" Shulin cried as she rushed forward and shook her hand. "It's _so_ nice to meet you, Ariana! So, so nice!"

Aria sweat-dropped a little at the green-haired girl's enthusiasm. "O-Okay..." Then, she spotted Yancy and blinked. "Wait a minute, I've never seen _you_ before. And who would you be?"

"Y-Y-Yancy!" the pink-haired girl stuttered, overwhelmed by the presence of her honorary aunt's past self. Indeed, even if she was in disguise, Aria's beauty and grace were on a whole other level. "I-I-It's s-s-such an honor to m-m-meet you!"

"N-Nice to meet you too..."

Aria stared at Yancy with suspicion, but before she could think about her physical appearance any further, the redheaded girl suddenly felt an intense gaze on her. Craning her neck by an inch, she was greeted by Shulin's grayish-blue eyes.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Aria exclaimed. "You're kinda invading my personal space there, Shulin..."

Shulin giggled and took a step backward. "Oh, I'm so sorry about that, Ariana! It's just, for some reason...you've got this really _fine_ aura about you..."

Serena could easily see Aria's throat strongly pulsate once in her throat as the Kalos Queen gulped. Remembering that she was in disguise and didn't want the public to know her true identity, the honey-blonde abruptly slung an arm around her friend's shoulder and chuckled loudly.

"Well, it's 'cause she's a Performer too!" she replied, thinking on the top of her feet. "And all Performers need to have a, uh, fine aura about them!"

"Wait, Ariana's a Performer too?" Blanche asked, surprised by this revelation. "How come I did not see her in any of the PokéVision coverage videos for this season?"

"I-It's because I decided not to participate for this season!" Aria exclaimed in response, the Kalos Queen thinking on the top of her feet as well. "I-I've never had the best winning streak lately. B-But I do follow the Showcase coverage closely, regardless! There's no way I'd miss out on any of this year's competitions!"

"Oh, I think I know what you mean by that," replied Shauna, the tan-skinned Performer smiling sympathetically.

Then, Aria noticed Tierno, Trevor, Grace, Meyer, Calem, Layla, and Moose. "Oh! And I assume you're all Serena's family?"

"Nah, me and Trevor here are just friends here to support Serena and Shauna," Tierno replied. "The name's Tierno."

"And I'm Meyer, Clemont and Bonnie's father," Meyer introduced. There was a toothy, ear-to-ear smile on his face as he patted Clemont's shoulder and the top of Bonnie's head, much to the former's embarrassment and the latter's irritation.

"I see," Aria replied with interest. "It's very nice to meet you all." Then, she turned her face to Grace, Calem, Layla, and Moose. "So I guess you're Serena's family."

"That's right," Grace replied. "The name is Grace." She suddenly smiled kindly and passionately at the redheaded Kalos Queen. "Oh, I'm so glad that I could meet even more of my daughter's friends. I can't thank you enough for helping my little jockey out when she needs it."

"MOM!" Serena squeaked, her voice cracking comically. "S-STOP CALLING ME THAT!"

"I'm Calem, Serena's cousin," Calem interjected, before Serena's embarrassment at her nickname could escalate. "It's so nice to meet you, Aria."

"And I'm Layla, Serena's aunt," added Layla before she gestured to Moose, who simply waved. "And this is my husband Moose. We traveled all the way from Sinnoh to watch Serena compete, and I must say, Kalos is such a nice place. You're quite lucky to live here, Ariana."

"Thank you very much," Aria replied humbly. She scanned the entire group one-by-one, and Serena could've sworn she saw a glimmer of emotion pass through the Kalos Queen's eyes. "Anyway...I hear you want to do something while you're all waiting for the break to end?"

"You bet!" Ash exclaimed, his fists raised with excitement.

"Pika!" Pikachu added.

"You had a suggestion, Aria...na," Serena said, her sapphire-blue eyes sparkling inquisitively. "Or rather, you knew what Shauna was gonna suggest. So what is it?"

Aria's eyes merely twinkled, and she gave the group a sly, knowing wink, prompting all the other Performers to gasp with overjoyed understanding. As for the boys, they instantly knew what fate awaited them. Even Pikachu was left paralyzed on his Trainer's shoulder.

"No," Ash moaned with a horrified realization. "No, no, no, no, no..."

"Pika-pika!" squeaked Pikachu.

"Yes!" Selene suddenly exclaimed with excitement. "Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes!"

"Pichu-pichu!" Pichu chirped, the Tiny Mouse Pokémon smiling from ear to ear.

* * *

**Several minutes later**

"This place has stores too?!" Tierno exclaimed with dismay as the entire group emerged from a small boutique. The girls were shoulder to shoulder, talking a mile a minute about all of the impressive clothing and accessories that they spotted in the store, while the boys were all carrying almost a dozen shopping bags each.

"Of course!" Aria replied, winking at the rotund Trainer. "As a landmark of southern Kalos and an ideal Showcase Theater, the Laurier Maison is a center for everything fashion-related. It'd be bad for tourism if everyone had to leave the Maison and shop at the nearest store about a mile away!"

"But why'd you have to make us carry all of the bags?!" Ash cried, his voice wheezing from exhaustion.

"Well, Ash," Serena replied, giving him a wink, "as the guys of the group, it's your shared duty to be the gentlemen and help the ladies out."

"You say that, but we're the only ones busting our backs here!" snapped Trevor.

"Oh, come on, Trevor," replied Shauna, twirling around to look at her friend. "The ladies are doing a whole bunch of work too. You know, it takes a lot of knowledge and precision to pick the best clothes and accessories for Showcase outfits!"

"I call shenanigans on that logic!"

"Why am I getting a sense of déjà vu...?" Calem asked flatly, addressing Nate, who merely shrugged his shoulders.

Meanwhile, Moose was enduring a similar struggle. He staggered as quickly as he could after Grace and Layla, with many shopping bags hanging from every inch of his arms.

"Why do I have to carry all the bags by myself again?" the poor glasses-wearing man asked.

"Like I said, honey," Layla replied, "I'm pregnant. I can't afford to be lifting any weights right now." She then gave him a knowing stare. "You don't want any harm to come to our children before they're even born, do you?"

Moose's eyes widened a little. "O-O-Of course not, b-but-"

"Then be a man and suck it up."

"Ouch," Grace added teasingly, giving her younger sister a soft and playful bump to the shoulder. "You tell him, sis." She then glanced at Moose as well. "Come on, Moose, be like Meyer and carry those bags like a real man."

Indeed, out of all the males in the group, Meyer seemed to have no physical or emotional problems in carrying a number of shopping bags for the females. He actually had the largest workload out of everyone, but he carried his burden with a rather surprising expression of confidence, a look that refused to waver even with every bag that was added to his arms. Upon hearing Grace's statement, Moose's lips broke out into a toothy smile.

"Is that a compliment I'm hearing from you?" he asked.

"I'd rather compliment a Tentacruel over you," Grace replied flatly, all the while giving him a deathly stare.

Meanwhile, Moose, realizing the magnitude of Meyer's strength, got an idea. Without a second thought, he looked up at him pleadingly.

"Hey, it's Meyer, right?" he asked.

"That's me, alright," Moose replied, looking down at the wiry man. "You need anything?"

"Could you carry some of my load, please...?"

"Sorry, no can do." He raised his bulky arms; every last inch of them was bearing the thick strings of shopping bags. "As you can see, I've already got a lot on my plate as it is."

"Oh, come on, Meyer! There's no way you're struggling with that much bags! A couple more wouldn't hurt-"

"You wanna impress your wife and not have her be on your case like this?" Meyer interrupted. Then, he flexed his arms, shocking Moose with his bulging, tanned muscles. "Improve that body of yours. Put a little more mass on those arms and legs!"

"I-I _do_ exercise!" Moose snapped defiantly.

"Obviously you're not getting enough. You're not that far of a cry from my son." Meyer glanced at Clemont with concern as the inventor buckled under the combined weight of his bags. "Even if I know he'll be getting a girl in the future, I am still quite concerned about how he'll be able to get to that point..."

Meanwhile, Clemont sneezed. Then, he was the first to notice the girls heading towards another boutique.

"Oh, no!" the inventor exclaimed with exasperation. "N-Not another boutique! We...We just came _out_ of one!"

"Face it, Clemont," Trevor replied, his voice low and glum as many of the girls skipped towards the store's entrance. "The moment the girls see a store they like, they'll be shopping in it no matter what, and we'll be left to deal with the physical work. You can't stop it."

"It's like a law of nature of its own..." Tierno added, his voice exhibiting a combination of exhaustion and curiosity about the mannerisms of females.

The group immediately entered the boutique, and the girls immediately gasped with awe at all of the products.

" _Wow_!" Serena cried as she examined row after row of clothes. "Look at all of these clothes! I've never seen these before in any of the other stores and boutiques I've been to! The ones at Kiloude don't even have these brands!"

"Awwwww, these hats are _so_ cute!" squeaked Blanche as she gawked at a table of various hats and caps. She then took a couple from the counter and examined each of them in turn. "I should buy these for my Meowstic! They'll be helpful for the final event!"

"Ta-da!" Miette cried, having just put on a pair of stylish deep-orange glasses. "What do you guys think?!"

"Hmmm..." Aria examined every angle of the blue-haired Performer's face before replying, "It matches your eyes pretty well, but I think it needs a lil' more pizzazz to it..."

"Oh, I've got just the thing!" cried Nini. She approached Miette and placed a small blue fedora on the top of her friend's head. "There we go! I think you look fabulous, Miette!"

"Yeah, they really do bring out the best parts of you!" added Aria.

"Really?" Miette chuckled sheepishly. "Th-Thanks..." She took off the sunglasses and fedora and looked at them. "I guess I'll be buying these!"

Meanwhile, Serena was scouring through a row of jean shorts and comparing two different products that had caught her interest when she felt someone tugging at her vest. She looked down to see Selene staring back up at her, with Celebi in her arms and Pichu on the top of her head.

Then, Serena noticed what her future daughter had done to Celebi.

"A Sewaddle vest...?" the honey-blonde asked.

"I found it, Mommy!" explained Selene. "And since everyone keeps mistaking Celebi for a Sewaddle, I wanted to have it! So, can we buy this for Celebi, Mommy?" Her blue eyes shimmered pleadingly. "Pretty please?"

"Pichu-pi?" Pichu added, its eyes also having a similar shimmer. Meanwhile, Celebi cooed and shifted comfortably within its impromptu disguise.

"Why, of course, Selene!" Serena replied, while patting the side of the little girl's head. "We gotta hide Celebi from those big, bad poachers anyway, and this should be the perfect disguise for it!"

"YAY!" Selene hopped and twirled around for a couple of times with excitement before abruptly stopping. Her eyes were shining with awe as they stared off somewhere, intriguing Serena.

"Selene?" Serena approached her future daughter and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Is there something wrong?"

Selene merely pointed towards a shelf of hats and caps, and Serena followed the direction of her index finger. That was when she saw what had caught the girl's attention in the first place: a red, flower-like toque with a cubical, Poké Ball-like symbol at the front.

"I want _that_ , Mommy..." Selene said with wonder.

Serena blinked. "You want that?"

The teenage Performer approached the toque, took it from the shelf, and looked at the price tag. At first, it looked rather expensive, but Serena then remembered that her aloof, wealthy Uncle Dawson would be paying for every last purchase in Kiloude. So, she smiled brightly and looked back at Selene.

"Of course, Selene," she replied. "We can buy this too!"

"HOORAY!" Selene immediately hugged the girl's leg tightly. "YOU'RE THE BEST, MOMMY!"

" _Mommy_...?" another voice asked. Serena looked beside her and saw, to her shock, Aria, who was standing just a couple of feet away. "Wh...Why'd she call you 'Mommy', Serena...?"

The gears in Serena's brain whirred at high speeds as she struggled to come up with an excuse.

"B-Be-Because-"

The honey-blonde was suddenly interrupted when Yancy literally crashed through a row of jeans and stood between her and Aria. Her face was as pink as her hair, and she was struggling to hold back her panting.

"Se...Se...Selene thinks Serena's...our...mother..." Yancy said between intense pants. "Because...Serena...looks like...our mother...Selene...makes...those mistakes...sometimes... Phew!" Yancy heaved out a sigh of relief and slumped over, her hands clasping her patellas.

"Oh..." Aria replied. Then, her red eyes bulged with surprise. "Wait a minute, these are your _sisters_ , Serena?!"

"Y-Y-Yeah..." stuttered Serena.

"You never told me you had sisters, Serena!" To the relief of Serena, Selene, and Yancy, Aria smiled enthusiastically. "I've never really had any younger sisters. It must be nice to have that kind of luxury."

"I-It has its drawbacks..." Serena looked down at Selene, just in time to see the girl coddling Celebi rather adorably. "But I think the perks definitely outweigh them..."

Aria smiled at Selene as well before looking at Yancy. "Yancy, is that right?" When Yancy nodded, the Kalos Queen asked, "It must be really nice to have such an accomplished older sister as a Performer... Even moreso since Serena nearly beat me- I mean, _Aria_ during the Master Class. You must be really proud."

"We-We all are," Yancy replied quickly.

Then, the girl's friendly smile widened. "You know, I may not recognize you anywhere from this year's Showcase season, but I'm sure you're a really great Performer as well."

"I-I guess..." Yancy then looked at Serena, who was talking with Selene. "But no matter how hard I try, I just can't seem to beat my mo- uh, sister. And even if I wanted to..." She sighed softly and smiled. "I...I just can't bring myself to... She is just too amazing to beat..."

"Oh..." Aria stared at Yancy with sympathy. "I know how you feel..."

Yancy stared at her. "You do?"

"Yeah." The Kalos Queen smiled fondly as she reminisced. "My mother meant the whole world to me. She taught me all the things I needed to know about Showcases. And she was a natural onstage." She sighed. "Everyone was blown away by her. She knew how to make an entire audience smile..."

Yancy watched on as Aria recounted the memories she had of her mother. As she listened in intently, the happy, excited look on the pink-haired girl's face gradually subsided and was replaced, bit by bit, with sadness and empathy. Being fully aware of Aria's childhood, Yancy could tell where this story was going...

Just then, Aria paused, and Yancy could see a disconcerting look reflecting in her eyes...

"A-Aria...?" Yancy asked with concern. "Are...Are you okay there...?"

Her words seemed to have shaken the Kalos Queen from her absentmindedness, for she shook her head and gave Yancy another wondrous smile.

"Y-Yeah, I'm fine!" she replied. "Oh, I'm sorry, I-I guess I just got a little absorbed there." She chuckled and rubbed the right side of her neck sheepishly. "E-Enough about me, why don't we go shopping some more?"

Yancy stared at Aria for a few seconds, mentally debating whether she should dig deeper into the matter. However, she quickly decided against that and replied with a smile, "O-Of course! Let's!"

Aria smiled back at her, before the two teenage Performers joined Serena and Selene in taking the latter's new toque and Celebi's Sewaddle-themed vest to the cashier's desk, where several other people in their group were already waiting. As they proceeded towards the front counter, Aria suddenly remembered something and glanced at Yancy with confusion.

 _"Wait a minute,"_ the redhead thought. _"Did...Did Yancy just call me by my real name...?"_

* * *

It didn't take long for the entire group (or all of the girls, rather) to find for all of the items they decided to buy. Serena, Yancy, Shauna, Miette, Nini, and Aria got themselves new clothes and accessories; Blanche got the two hats she picked out earlier for her two Meowstic; Kazalie and Shulin both got Kiloude City-themed shirts that they planned to send over to their parents; Grace and Layla got more souvenirs for their relatives overseas; and Bonnie convinced Clemont to pay for a new Icy Snow Vivillon-themed costume for Halloween.

As for Selene, she had Serena purchase the red toque and Celebi's disguise for her. The latter item was a hassle to pay at first because the cashier required the girls to remove the vest from Celebi so he could scan its tag, thus jeopardizing the Time Travel Pokémon's hiding spot. Fortunately, Ash kept the cashier occupied for a brief moment by inquiring about his assistant Caterpie while Serena and Selene worked together to remove the Sewaddle costume from Celebi.

Right now, the group was at a changing area of the boutique, where Serena, Selene, Bonnie, Yancy, Shauna, Miette, and Nini were sampling some of the clothing they got or were planning to get, namely their swimwear. Blanche, Kazalie, and Shulin were also in stalls of their own, having been provided with some of the clothing the other girls bought.

"Yo, how long is this supposed to take, Shauna?!" exclaimed Tierno.

"Yeah!" added Trevor. "Isn't the Showcase gonna start any minute now?"

"Not really," Aria replied. "I just learned they're extending the break by a few more minutes. They still need to clean up the stage after Amelia went nuts on it."

"I guess that makes sense..." Nate said as he held the disguised Celebi in his arms.

"Even so, I'm so tired, and I'm _starving_!" moaned Calem. "Can we just get a move on already, girls?! I wanna go back to the food court and scarf down on something delicious!"

"Just a minute!" Nini responded in a singsong voice.

"Great," Ash replied with exasperation as he held Selene's Pichu. "I could've spent this precious time battling someone!"

"Pika pika!" squeaked Pikachu, the Mouse Pokémon nodding with agreement.

"Same here," Nate said. Then, he looked at the raven-haired Trainer. "Speaking of which, we should remember to finish our battle from earlier today. I'd love to see who comes out on top."

Ash looked at him with a determined expression. "I wouldn't forget it for anything else in the world, Nate!" He then lifted a clenched fist. "But know this, Nate; I'm gonna beat you for sure!"

"Oh, we'll see about that!"

Just then, the two boys heard Miette sigh from inside her closet.

"Boys," she said. "Battling this, battling that. Is that _all_ they think about?"

"You should spend an hour with Tierno and Trevor, Miette," Shauna replied. "They can't go a minute without mentioning Pokémon battling in some form. Or, in Tierno's case, doing some cool dance move."

"Uh, _e_ _xcuse me_!" Trevor said, affronted. "Who out of the three of us spent thirty minutes straight going on and on about Aria and the upcoming Pokémon Showcases back at the summer camp?!"

"And I thought you of all people would sympathize with my love of dance moves, Shauna," Tierno added angrily.

There was silence from Shauna's stall. Then... "Touché, guys. Touché."

"Hey, uh, speaking of guys and their love of battling," Miette piped, "I think I now understand why you're having such a tough time with Ash, Serena."

"WH-WH-WHAT?!" Serena's voice squeaked from her stall; her mother's outburst made Selene giggle. "I-I HAVE N-N- **NO IDEA** WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, MIETTE!"

"Wait, what _are_ you guys talking about...?" Blanche asked, confused.

"Yeah, come on!" Shulin exclaimed. "Fill us in on all the juicy details!"

"NO, DON'T!" Serena shrieked. "THEY DON'T NEED TO KNOW ANYTHING!"

"Oh, come _on_ , Serena," Shauna suddenly replied, and everyone outside could easily imagine her shaking her head with disappointment. "We all know you've been trying to make a move on A-"

Serena immediately cut off her friendly rival with a blatantly fake cry. "AGH! Ooh, I, uh, I think I-I tore something!"

"Ohhhhh, _sure_ you did..." Miette replied, unconvinced.

"No, I _seriously_ tore something in my bikini!"

"Do you want me to help out?" Aria asked, stepping towards Serena's stall. "I can sew up any tears really good-"

"No, no, no! You don't need to do that, Aria...na! I can manage just fine!"

Aria blinked. "Are...Are you _sure_ -?"

"Yes, I'm sure! Look, I got my bikini on. I'm coming out right now!"

With that, the door to her stall flew open, and Serena stepped out into full view of all the others. Just a split-second later, the jaws of Ash, Nate, Clemont, Tierno, Trevor, and even Calem dropped open with shock, while their faces turned as red as ripe Tamato Berries. Even Aria couldn't help but gawk with total wonder.

Serena was wearing a rose-pink two-piece bikini, though the strings and clasps that held the articles of clothing together were as blue as her ribbon. The bikini did rather surprising wonders to show off her exposed body with her fair and silky skin, her modest curves, and her voluptuous legs. Her beauty was further accentuated by her neck-length honey-blonde hair, her sapphire-blue eyes, and her shy but somehow charming smile.

Ash would usually have something complimentary to say for his friend, but this was a completely different situation, one that deprived his ability to speak for some mystical reason. Instead, he simply stood there, gawking in awe at Serena, as if her beauty cast a spell on him. To any impartial third party, it would've been hilarious to see the experienced Trainer in that position, open-mouthed and utterly blown away by his traveling companion's looks.

"Wow, Serena!" Tierno exclaimed as sweat dripped from his forehead. "You look AMAZING!"

"Huh..." Aria added, scanning Serena from head to toe. "You sure know how to captivate an audience, Serena..."

"Wait, is Serena showing herself off?!" called Miette, a tint of jealousy in her voice.

"Aw, no fair!" Kazalie moaned.

"Hey, there's no way that girl's gonna hog all the attention!" Shulin snapped. "I'm coming out as well!"

"Me too!" Nini added.

"Same here!" Blanche cried.

"W-Wait for me!" Bonnie squeaked.

With that, the girls stepped out of their stalls, one by one, wearing their new clothing.

Yancy, Shauna, Miette, and Shulin were wearing two-piece bikinis of their own, but the colors and styles differed. Yancy's was white with light-pink outlines, Shauna's was green with white polka-dot patterns, Miette's was light-blue with orange stripes, and Shulin's top was green while her bottom was light-green with turquoise patterns. Like Serena, their choice of clothing showed off their bodies as well, entrancing the boys.

Unlike most of the other girls, Nini, Blanche, and Kazalie were wearing one-piece swimsuits. Nini's was orange with just a few light-blue stripes, Blanche's was a very light shade of blue, and Kazalie's was light-brown with light-green Poké Ball patterns. Blanche and Kazalie pouted at the attention the other girls were receiving from the boys, but Nini saw from the corner of her eye Tierno looking at her with a seemingly muted interest.

Selene and Bonnie were the only girls who were not wearing any swimwear. Instead, Bonnie was wearing the Icy Snow Vivillon Halloween costume, which was not all that different from all the other Pokémon-themed cosplay that she liked to wear. As for Selene, she switched out her old straw hat with the red toque, while Celebi was back in its Sewaddle vest.

As soon as Bonnie noticed Selene's new toque, she pointed at her and started laughing loudly and rambunctiously.

"HAHAHAHAHA! YOU LOOK LIKE A _TORCHIC_ , SELENE! YOU LOOK SO, SO _RIDICULOUS_!"

"I DO NOT!" Selene snapped back.

But Bonnie didn't listen to her. Instead, she clutched her sides as she kept laughing, while Dedenne and Squishy looked at her with disappointed expressions.

"HAHAHAHAHA! YOU LOOK SO FUNNY! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

" _Bonnie_!" Clemont snapped harshly, as Selene pouted angrily at her aunt. "That's not a nice thing to say!"

"But doesn't Selene look like a little Torchic, Clemont?" Bonnie asked defiantly.

" _Bonnie_ ," Meyer suddenly said, and the tone of his voice silenced the blonde seven-year-old immediately. He crossed his arms, while Clemont stared at his father with immense relief. "What do you say to Selene?"

Not wanting to infuriate her father, Bonnie turned to Selene and said reluctantly, "I'm sorry, Selene. You don't look like a Torchic. You look nice in that...thingy."

Selene immediately smiled brightly at her aunt. "Thank you, Auntie Bonnie!" She then looked down at Celebi. "What do you think, Cele- I mean, Sewaddle? Do I look nice in this hat?"

"Bi!" Celebi replied, nodding its head in agreement.

Selene looked up at Pichu, who was still in her father's arms. "What about you, Pichu?"

"Pichu-pi!" the Tiny Mouse Pokémon squeaked, giving its caretaker a thumbs-up.

"Well, I think you look _really_ cute in that, Selene," Serena said as she bent down and patted her future daughter lovingly on the head. "The toque makes you look like a pretty little flower."

Selene blushed at the praise, but continued to smile. "Thank you, Mo- I mean, Serena!"

Serena giggled childishly at Selene's bubbly nature, while Bonnie merely scowled at the two. Meanwhile, Miette, instantly seizing her chance, stood in front of Ash and made a rather provocative pose.

"How about me, Ash?" she asked seductively as she showed off the better parts of her bikini. "Do you think I look _really_ cute in this?"

Ash's crimson blush intensified upon seeing Miette's own curvaceous body up-close and personal. It was bad enough that Serena had to unwittingly catch his attention like that, but to have Miette be up in his personal space in similar attire was almost not enough for the Pallet Town native to handle!

"Um, uh, um..." he stuttered, his frame trembling. "I, uh, I-I think-"

" _Yeeeees_?" Miette batted her eyelashes at him teasingly, reducing Ash into a further mess. "What do you think...?"

"I-I think..." Ash gulped reluctantly. "I-I think-"

"Pikapi..." Pikachu said, shaking his head with disappointment.

"Pichu pichu-pi," Pichu added flatly.

Ash started to sweat profusely as he and Miette stared at each other. He struggled to find the right words to say, but who in the world could find the right words to say in such a situation?!

"I, uh... I-"

"M-MI- _MIETTE_!"

But it wasn't Serena who intervened. Yancy pushed Miette away from her father, while her face was as pink as her hair.

"Y-You get away from him right now!" she squeaked with embarrassment. "Y-You shouldn't be fl-fl-flirting with him!"

At the corner of Miette's eye, the blue-haired Performer could see Serena subtly breathing out a heavy sigh of relief. She frowned with disappointment before seeing something else transpiring in the peripheral of her eyesight. Upon registering what it was, the familiar smirk returned to Miette's face.

"Are you sure you should be defending him, Yancy?" she asked tauntingly.

"O-O-Of course!" Yancy replied defiantly. She took a brief glance towards Blanche and Kazalie before saying in a hushed voice, "You know who Ash is to me, Miette!"

Miette's eyes twinkled knowingly, and she pointed over Yancy's shoulder. "And you say all of that...while someone else is trying to steal your man under your watch?"

Yancy's eyes bulged with shock, and she whipped her head around only to see the unthinkable. Shulin was standing right in front of Nate, making a provocative pose similar to Miette's. The poor brown-haired Trainer merely stared helplessly as the Performer flaunted her bikini-clad body just for him.

"I noticed you had an eye on my swimsuit, Nate," the green-haired girl said, her voice surprisingly sultry. When the poor boy merely let out a strained squeak in response, she smiled and placed a hand on his shoulder, making sure each of her fingers lightly tapped him sequentially. "Tell me, Nate, do you like what you see...?"

Steam was literally coming out of Yancy's nostrils and ears as she witnessed this. Miette giggled momentarily before she placed her hands on the other girl's shoulders and leaned her face close to her ear.

"I think you'd better stop this before it gets out of hand, Yancy," she said.

Yancy did not waste another minute dawdling, for she dashed forward a little too quickly and knocked Shulin over in her outburst. As chaos erupted amongst the group because of this, Miette trained her sights on Ash again, all for the sake of Serena...only to realize the raven-haired Trainer was conspicuously absent.

As was Serena.

She looked down at Selene, who was coddling Celebi again, and noticed that Pikachu and Pichu were with them now. She knelt down and asked, "Selene, sweetie, where are Ash and Serena?"

Selene looked up at her honorary aunt, tight-lipped from a few moments. Then, after seemingly considering her options, she smirked, looked back down at Celebi, and replied, "In one of the other closets."

Miette immediately smirked as well.

* * *

"S-Se- _Serena_...?"

Ash stared incredulously at Serena as she held the door to one of the farther stalls shut. They could hear Yancy causing some sort of ruckus a few feet away, which apparently involved Nate and Shulin. However, they ignored what was going on outside when Serena breathed out a sigh of relief and addressed Ash.

"I'm...I'm sorry about that, Ash... I...I don't know what came over me..."

Ash blinked at his friend before turning his head away, his face pink. Unfortunately for him, Serena didn't get anything to modestly cover herself up with. As a result, he was stuck in a dressing stall with her while she was wearing nothing more than a two-piece bikini. An admittedly cute bikini at that...

Upon realizing what he was thinking, Ash shook his head rapidly and started panting a little to expend some of the heat building up within him. How in the world did this K+ story become a T-rated one?!

Meanwhile, Serena noticed her crush's reaction and blushed just as intensely as him.

"Oh, my goodness!" she squeaked. "I'm so sorry, Ash! I should've grabbed a towel or something-"

"N-N-No, it's okay," Ash replied with a slight stutter. "You had to act quickly. I can understand."

Serena briefly sighed with relief before narrowing her eyes. "That Miette! Sometimes I wish I could get my hands around her neck and shake that stupid smile off her little face! Agh! She just knows how to get under my skin!"

Ash briefly chuckled. "Oh, come on, Serena. She's just trying to have a little fun, that's all."

"Yeah, at _my_ expense! She knows we're supposed to be married in the future and all, yet she goes all willy-nilly and still flirts with you! Who knows what kind of effects her actions will have?!"

_**"What about** _ **you** _**, Ash?! Do you** _ **want** _**to marry Serena?! ...** _ _**Like, do you** _ **want** _**her as your wife?"** _

Ash blushed upon remembering Nate's own words back at the food court. It was even more awkward now, being in such an intimate situation with Serena, with the realization that he was destined to marry her in mind. He never tried to give Nate's question any serious consideration, on the basis that it was so awkward to think about in the first place. But now that Serena brought up their inevitable civil union, the Trainer started to actually think about it.

For most of his journey throughout the Kalos region, he had always seen Serena as a very good friend and nothing more. Sure, there were moments where he felt there was an unusual level of intimacy between them, but those moments were always fleeting, and they passed before he could have a second thought about them.

But ever since they started journeying to Kiloude City, Ash realized there were even more emotionally charged moments between them and them alone. Their conversation on the balcony of their hotel suite was the first example that came to mind. He still couldn't believe how passionate he had been that night. (That came out wrong.)

However, as he continued digging deeper into the context of their relationship, the Pallet Town native suddenly realized something: the catalyst behind these strange but welcome series of events had to have been before Kiloude City, before their arrival at Vaniville Town.

Of course, Ash was thinking about their emotionally-charged conversation in the Winding Woods, right after his defeat at Wulfric's hands. He could still feel the feeling of snowballs pelting his face.

Ever since that time, Ash had been seeing Serena in a totally different light, a feeling that had been subtle until now. But even then, he could still recall the startling amount of enthusiasm and energy he exhibited around the honey-blonde.

_**"Man, I can't wait till I get to Vaniville Town! I've never been there, after all. I'd really like to see what your home is like, Serena!"** _

_**"I just wanted to see where you grew up, that's all."** _

_**"What was that for, Empoleon?!"** _

_**"Wow, so that's how the people in Vaniville live! And look at those streams and fountains! And all of the people and Pokémon! I wish Pallet Town was a little like that!"** _

_**"For a small town, Vaniville has a very nature-y feel to it! I like it! And it's in the middle of a very wide field! Where I come from, Pallet Town is in the middle of a valley. We have some fields and plains, but mostly it's just mountains all around. It's not like I hate how Pallet Town looks, but...I do wonder what it's like to live in a different place such as this."** _

On a surface level, Ash would have been mistaken into believing he was just acting like his usual self back then. But now that he was grappling with whatever feelings he had for Serena, the raven-haired Trainer realized his enthusiasm for any and everything Serena-related was probably a sign of something more...

But...if it was something more, then...did that mean...?

_**"What about** _ **you** _**, Ash?! Do you** _ **want** _**to marry Serena?!"** _

_"Do I_ really _feel that way about her...?"_ Ash thought, his mind reeling from the overload of information. _"Do I_ want _to be with Serena for the rest of my life? Is it something that would make my heart flutter...?"_ He then gulped. _"That's a pretty stupid question._ Of course _my heart is fluttering at that possibility! But... But_ what _? What's the problem here? Why do I believe there may be a problem with this...?"_

"Hello, Ash? _Ash_? Hey, Earth to Ash Ketchum!"

Ash screamed and nearly fell over the moment he returned to reality. He realized that Serena had leaned her face about an inch closer to his own, perhaps unknowingly so.

"S-S-Se-Ser-Serena!" Ash managed out. "D-Do-Don't st-startle me like that!"

"Oh, I'm sorry!" the honey-blonde replied. "It's just...you were spacing out a moment ago." Then, her face turned even more red, and she shyly covered as much of her skin as possible. "Pl-Pl-Please don't tell me...you were-"

"I was what?" Ash tilted his head like a confused Lillipup. Then, he seemed to come to a realization. "Did...Did you know what was thinking about?"

Serena's voice cracked as she squealed, "I-I don't even wanna know!"

Ash blinked obliviously. "So...you _don't_ wanna know what you think about all of this?"

"I don't!" Then, with her face still red, Serena relaxed and stared intensely at Ash's auburn eyes. "Unless...you want us to think about it..."

"So you want us to think about our future?" Ash blushed as well. "T-Together?"

...

...

...

" _That's_ what you were thinking about?" Serena asked flatly, her arms falling down to her sides lifelessly.

"Well, _yeah_..." Ash crossed his arms and looked away shyly. "What else would I be thinking about?"

"I've got about a hundred ideas." Then, the honey-blonde awkwardly leaned against the closet door. "So...you wanted to think about our future together? Is that what's going on?"

"Well...yeah..."

"Okay. Let's." Serena crossed her arms as well. "But I mean, what's there to _think_ about? I-It's gonna be a thing, isn't it? Whether we like it or not, we will be married and have kids and be happy together, the whole package..." Serena's lower lip quivered ambiguously. "It's inevitable, as my mom would say."

Ash hesitated a little as he remembered Nate's words again.

"But...how do _you_ feel about it?" he asked slowly.

"How do _I_ feel about it?" Serena smiled a little, but even then, her smile radiated a great amount of joy. "I...I feel great about it! I mean, you've seen me interact with Selene and Yancy!"

"Yeah, but..." Ash gulped. "How do you feel about having them _with me_?"

Serena blinked. "C-Come again?"

"I mean, how do you feel about marrying me? Having me as your husband? Is that something you want? I-I mean, there are so many guys out there in the world, guys you could have as husbands!" Ash's heart tugged a little at the suggestion for some reason, but he pressed on. "I know we already know what's ahead of us, our future, and Selene and Yancy are good people. But I ask this because I want this whole thing to be on our own terms. I want _us_ to decide our own future-"

"Of course!" Serena interrupted suddenly, before she could help herself. "I'd like to have you as my husband!"

Ash's eyes widened with surprise. "You...You _would_?!"

"Ye-Yeah!" Serena paused briefly, unsure if Ash was interpreting her words the way she wanted to, or if he was being his oblivious self as usual and being misled by some outlandish but cute misinterpretation. "W-Well, I mean..." She twiddled her fingers nervously. "I... I..."

Her heart stopped as she realized what she was about to do. She was going to confess to Ash. She was going to _confess_ to Ash, the one boy she loved in her life. And it was not some imaginary confession, some perfect scenario conceived by the most pleasant and unbelievable of dreams. It was going to be a full-fledged, legitimate, no-holds-barred confession. There was nothing in this world that could stop her now-

Their stall was suddenly filled with a blast of bright light, and a peculiar shadow.

"There you guys are!"

Except for Miette, that is.

"Well, well, well," the blue-haired Performer continued with a snicker. "What do we have here? As if this whole affair was not juicy enough already! But you chose to take it from one to ten right away, Serena! I'm quite impressed!"

 **"MIETTE!"** Serena screeched, her voice echoing throughout the boutique and seeping outside into the rest of the Laurier Maison, for everyone else to hear.

As Ash watched Serena engage in yet another heated exchange with Miette, he blushed and looked away. The nature of their conversation was about to get somewhere important, but Miette HAD to butt in with her shenanigans. However, the interruption did make him realize something.

 _"Perhaps it'd be more appropriate for us if Serena was wearing_ real clothes _before she told me how she felt..."_ Then, the boy looked down at the floor and sighed sadly. _"Still though...what was she gonna say to me...?"_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And this marks the end of this literally heated chapter! I was planning on making it a little longer, but I felt happy with this ending and I didn't want to give the chapter unnecessary bulk, so I just went with my gut. I sincerely hope you guys enjoyed those AmourShipping hints! Those were my favorite parts.
> 
> Well, hope you enjoyed this chapter! TheCartoonFanatic01 is out. PEACE!


	20. What's About to Come

**Nick and Sons Oil and Construction Company  
** **Pauvre Avenue, southeastern Kiloude City**

"Yo, Parker, my man! ...What're you doing...?"

With a grunt, Parker set his makeshift weights down on the ground, examined his muscular arms for a brief moment, and then looked at Nick, who was staring at him with awe and wonder. He smirked at his temporary compatriot's rotund and unhealthy appearance, knowing how easy it would be to overpower someone as weak, incompetent, and pathetic as him and his ragtag band of allies. For once, the prospect of a double-cross was something that didn't worry Parker in the slightest.

"Keeping oneself in tiptop shape is a task that must be undertaken at all times," he said, just as his Sceptile suddenly landed on the floor beside him. "Should you wish to achieve your goals..." He promptly flexed his arms threateningly. "Your physique must reach ideal levels of perfection. Such is the way of all things in this world."

"Wooooow..." Nick replied. "I have _no idea_ what you just said, but that is SO COOL! You think you can teach me?!"

"Help me capture what I need and I will put that offer into consideration."

Nick nodded vigorously. "It's a done deal!" Then, he gestured towards the doorway. "Sp-Speaking of which, some of your Hoppip, Skiploom, and Jumpluff have returned! I think they have great news for you!"

His eyebrow arching with interest, Parker and Sceptile quickly followed Nick out of their interim exercise room and into the living room, where a Hoppip, Skiploom, and Jumpluff were waiting. Cecile was admiring the three Pokémon; Sid was researching something on his advanced laptop; and Floyd, Lloyd, and a couple of Nick's other, unnamed subordinates were watching something uninteresting on an old TV set.

"Report, Team Kappa," Parker barked suddenly, catching everyone's attention. The Hoppip, Skiploom, and Jumpluff hovered rigidly before their Trainer, their normally happy expressions suddenly turning uncharacteristically serious. "Did you ascertain the whereabouts of the target?"

Hoppip, Skiploom, and Jumpluff all shook their heads with disappointment. Nick blinked with surprise at the response, just as Parker gave him a deadly glare that sent an eerie chill down his spine.

"They have great news from me, huh...?"

Everyone else sweat-dropped at Nick's incompetence while dealing with their temporary ally.

"W-W-Well," stuttered Nick fearfully, "th-th-they c-ca-came in all happy and stuff! I-I thought th-th-they-"

"They act that way whenever I'm around them." He glared back at Hoppip, Skiploom, and Jumpluff. "In spite of their cute and harmless appearances, I catch as many of them as I could, whenever the opportunity presents itself, because they serve as efficient scouts. No one would suspect them of being my eyes and ears because of their normally innocent natures."

"Normally innocent natures...?" repeated Cecile, her voice hesitating with confusion at the first word.

"Let's just say I subject each and every one of my horde to a strict training regiment so they could be better suited to the needs of my overall group." He raised his hand and snapped his fingers, prompting the three Grass-type Pokémon to slam themselves into Nick's torso, knocking the wind out of him. "Everything innocent, individual, and weak about them is stripped away, and replaced with unconditional loyalty and collective strength."

"O-Oh." Cecile stared at Hoppip, Skiploom, and Jumpluff pitifully. "That...actually sounds pretty sad for them, though..."

"Accomplishing a task leaves no room for pity or other emotions, only strength and efficiency. You are either the one who breaks another, or the one who is broken by another. And as the one with power over all of my Pokémon, I am the one who must break them, lest I fall pathetically to those of a weaker stature. _That_ is a defeat I cannot tolerate. After all, those who suffer such fates are the ones who are undeserving of the pleasures the world has to offer, just as much as those who believe in will over strength."

Sid blinked, impressed by Parker's monologue. "Now _that_ is a philosophy I can get behind," he said, mostly to himself.

"Now that you understand who you're dealing with," Parker continued, all the while staring at each of his new allies in turn, "I expect nothing but the best out of you. Numbers are everything, but they will ultimately mean nothing in a task like capturing Celebi if each individual doesn't fulfill their respective duties. Is that understood?"

Everyone else nodded with agreement, even Nick, who was still recovering from the triple-blow that he received. It was amusing to elicit such reactions from them, and Parker knew he was asking WAY too much from them. This was all just out of his own amusement in the meantime. But he wasn't done. He pursed his lips and stuck out his chin aggressively.

"I can't hear you," he snarled.

"Yes, Parker!" everyone chorused.

"Yes, Parker what?"

Everyone else started sweating bullets as they replied, "Yes, Parker sir!"

"Very good."

Upon affirming each of their loyalties to him, Parker made a tiny but triumphant smirk. He knew these lower-class beings wouldn't last a minute seriously trying to live up to those unrealistic expectations, but as long as he had them quaking in fear of his presence, Parker could achieve the bare minimum of what he wanted. Though those weren't the expectations he wanted, the poacher knew he would have to settle for that, given the circumstances of his situation.

And that was good enough for him.

_**"How about we do a recap the Search-and-Rescue Theme Performance?"** _

_**"Yes, Mandi. That Serena Gabena sure was amazing in that one!"** _

Upon hearing Serena's name being mentioned, Parker stared with shock at the slightly grainy TV screen. Through the vague snow of static, he saw a prerecorded image of the honey-blonde Performer during the aforementioned Theme Performance.

"It's her..." he hissed with recognition.

"It's who?" Floyd asked, looking at the screen as well. "The pretty little girl with the honey-blonde hair?"

"Wow, she's cute," added Cecile, her eyes sparkling with wonder at the honey-blonde's graceful movements.

"She's not cute!" Parker snapped, silencing the others. "She's a _menace_! Her and that nosy husband of hers!"

"She's _married_?" Cecile blinked with surprise. "I didn't know you could marry _that_ young in Kalos-"

"She is the one who defeated me last night! Her and her husband! They took Celebi away from me and deprived me of my paycheck, just like their children always do! They _always_ meddle with my affairs..."

"They have kids too? Okay, now _that's_ weird..."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, wait a minute," Nick interrupted. "You said they took a _Celebi_ away from you, man?"

"Yes, that's right," snarled Parker.

"Celebi?" repeated Lloyd. "You mean the Legendary Pokémon that's rumored to travel through time?"

"Correct," Parker replied calmly. But in his mind, he was reprimanding himself for revealing the identity of his target to this ragtag band of incompetent fools. Now he just made things even more complicated for himself...

"Wait, you're saying you're after a...a _Celebi_?!" Floyd exclaimed, his eyes shining with wonder. The others also looked at each other with excitement.

"Whoa, that's so cool, man!" Lloyd cried. "Hey, hey, let's go get it! With that kind of awesome Pokémon in our hands, we can do anything we want!"

"Yeah! We...We can turn back time whenever we like and fix any of our screw-ups in life!"

"We can use it to play the same lottery over and over again until we get the right numbers!" suggested Nick. "We can get rich beyond our wildest dreams!"

"I can redo my old attempt to start a hair salon!" Cecile shrieked gleefully.

"HUZZAH!" the others roared with celebration.

However, Parker didn't partake in the festive atmosphere. Instead, he snarled, "You fools. Do you all _really_ think Celebi's going to cooperate with your demands?! It'll just teleport itself away from you weak-willed fools! ... _Unless_..." Then, the poacher smirked with realization, after remembering the presence of Selene and Nate. "They must still have Celebi with them. I injured it badly enough that it can't use its powers without putting a great amount of strain on its body."

"So if we get to them," continued Nick, "we can get to Celebi! Before it fully recovers too! Then, we can snatch it out of their grasp and do whatever we want with it!"

"Yeah, yeah." Parker approached Nick and slapped him on the back. "Good thinking, Mickey."

Nick winced as he rubbed his back. "It's Nick..."

The poacher ignored him. "Alright, gentlemen, lady! We should now focus all of our efforts in bypassing those children and capturing Celebi." As he ruminated the prospect of recapturing Celebi and getting his paycheck at last, the Pokémon poacher's smirk widened even more with deep satisfaction. "Now, let's begin planning for our operation..."

* * *

**Laurier Maison  
** **Northern Kiloude City**

_"...I mean, what's there to_ think _about? I-It's gonna be a thing, isn't it? Whether we like it or not, we will be married and have kids and be happy together, the whole package... It's inevitable, as my mom would say."_

_**"...How do** _ **you** _**feel about it?"** _

_"How do_ I _feel about it? ...I...I feel great about it! I mean, you've seen me interact with Selene and Yancy!"_

_**"Yeah, but...how do you feel about having them** _ **with me** _**?"** _

_"C-Come again?"_

_**"I mean, how do you feel about marrying me? Having me as your husband? Is that something you want? I-I mean, there are so many guys out there in the world, guys you could have as husbands! ...I know we already know what's ahead of us, our future, and Selene and Yancy are good people. But I ask this because I want this whole thing to be on our own terms. I want** _ **us** _**to decide our own future-"** _

_"Of course! I'd like to have you as my husband!"_

_**"You...You** _ **would** _**?!"** _

_"Ye-Yeah! ...W-Well, I mean... I... I..."_

Now back in her civilian clothes, Serena let out a heavy sigh of irritation as she followed the rest of her group out of the flashy Laurier Maison boutique. A valuable conversation with Ash, the one she wanted for _months_ , had been taking place and was about to go _somewhere_! She was going to make her full-fledged, legitimate, no-holds-barred confession to the raven-haired Pallet Town boy! But of course, Miette HAD to butt in and ruin her precious, precious moment!

Arceus HAD to be playing some sort of sick joke on her. There was absolutely no way her crush on Ash would be noticed by everyone EXCEPT for him for THIS LONG!

Realizing she was fuming over things she shouldn't be that concerned about, Serena looked at Ash to cool down. Right now, he and Pikachu were complimenting Selene's look in her brand-new toque. Bonnie was right; her future daughter resembled a Torchic from certain angles. Not that Serena minded, though. In fact, it made the seven-year-old look even more adorable...

"Enjoying the view?"

Serena let out a high-pitched yelp, instinctively thinking Miette was making another effort at pushing her buttons again. But when she looked over her shoulder, she instead saw a pair of ruby-red eyes watching her.

"It's pretty cute, huh?" Aria continued, adjusting her fake glasses. "Your sister and Ash. He acts so fatherly towards her." She took a deep breath of reminiscence. "I remember when my dad and I strolled around these very halls, having fun..."

"Your dad?" asked Serena, her curiosity piqued.

"Yeah." The redhead's smile faltered. "He's no longer in the picture. Not since my mom..." She pursed her lips for a brief moment, before abruptly asking, "You like Ash, don't you?"

If Serena had a nickel for every time her face turned into a Tamato Berry, she'd be a millionaire by now.

"WH-WH- **WHAT**?!" she squeaked. "WH-WH-WH-WHERE D-DID **THAT** C-C-C-COME FROM?!"

Aria placed her hands on her hips. "I'm sorry, Serena, but...it's _sooooo_ obvious."

 _"Even Aria caught onto my crush, but Ash still hasn't?!"_ Serena then sighed and replied in a low voice, "Then you should know the answer to that, Aria..."

The honey-blonde didn't know why, but she felt immense relief crashing over when Aria gave her a sympathetic smile.

"Must be tough, grappling with those feelings," the redhead said. "Not to mention worrying if your friend will reciprocate them. I feel your pain, Serena."

"Huh? You do?"

"Uh-huh." Aria giggled softly. "A friend of mine lives here. We've known each other for our whole lives. He's always been supportive of me, and I to him."

Serena's eyes started to sparkle with wonder and anticipation. "So you have a crush on him?"

Aria blinked, almost affronted by that prospect. "What?! N-No! Arceus, _no_!" She turned away, a blush forming on her fair cheeks. "I-I mean...I...I don't know. To be perfectly honest, _he_ was the one with the crush, not me." Her eyes narrowed slightly. "In fact, he confessed to me last night..."

The other Performer held in a squeal. "Ooh, that's SO ADORABLE! What'd you tell him?!"

"I told him I didn't know." The Kalos Queen sighed longingly. "I...I promised him I would have a straight answer after the Exhibition Showcase..."

Serena's heart suddenly fell. She didn't like the sound of where this was going.

"Oh." The Vaniville Town native hesitated. "Have you...already decided what to tell him...?"

"No, not really. And to be perfectly honest, Serena...I don't think I'll be keeping my promise when I reach that deadline." Aria's scarlet eyes glimmered mysteriously. "Up until last night, he was just my childhood friend. We played together, we adventured together, we dreamed together... Now, this confession's opened up a whole new box of feelings and thoughts about him and I don't know how to sort it all out. Plus, there's something between the two of us that remains unresolved and it really affects my views about the whole thing..."

Serena arched an eyebrow. "Something unresolved?"

"Something private. _Very_ private." Aria gulped and looked at the honey-blonde again with a forced smile. "Wh-What I'm trying to say is that I understand your concerns about a confession, Serena...because they're very real. Foster, that's my friend, must be thinking the same thing as I am. He's probably worried to death about what I have to say. Another thing that complicates the future of our friendship."

Serena's eyes widened with apprehension. "So you're saying Ash may reject me because my confession will open up a lot of new emotions that'll be confusing to him?!"

"Not if you tread through it carefully." Aria clasped her hand on Serena's shoulder. "Besides, what you and Ash have is a lot more wholesome compared to what I have with Foster. Ash may be confused and conflicted, sure, but I'm sure he will be able to sort out his feelings more quickly than I would. And if he rejects you, then it'll still be a positive experience for the two of you. After all, Ash is a nice guy. I'm sure hurting your feelings is the last thing he wants to do."

She gave Serena's shoulder a soft, reassuring squeeze. "There's nothing to be afraid or ashamed of, Serena. All you have to do is pour your heart out to him, and then let him decide where the two of you should go from there."

Serena looked at the Kalos Queen, who was looking back at her with confidence and support. Realizing she was right, the honey-blonde teenager nodded with agreement.

"Thank you so much, Aria," she said passionately. "I'll definitely tell Ash how I feel!" Then, she looked at Ash and Selene, and saw, to her dissatisfaction, that Miette had joined the conversation alongside Shauna and Blanche. "...But only after the Exhibition Showcase. I don't want any distractions."

"You sure about that, Serena? All of that pressure will probably affect your performances-"

"I'm sure of it, Aria. I want to be alone with Ash when I confess my feelings. This has to be between him and me and no one else."

Aria looked at Serena for a moment before smiling with approval. "Of course, Serena. You're the one with the crush. You decide the terms of how it's gonna go. Just don't give in to your fears. Let everything go, for better or for worse."

"I will." Serena looked back at the Kalos Queen. "And Aria?"

"Mm-hm?"

"You be strong too. I'm sure everything will work out fine between you and Foster."

Aria blinked twice before giving her friend a soft smile. But in her mind, she felt nothing but solemn glumness.

 _"Oh, Serena,"_ she thought. _"If only you knew..."_

* * *

Unbeknownst to Serena, Aria, and the others, Amelia had caught sight of them while standing atop the mezzanine. With a bitter scowl, she stuck out her chin and continued walking. Immediately, the Fleurrh City native tried to divert her train of thought from her rival, but that was a lost cause from the moment she recognized that mop of honey-blonde hair and those stupid sapphire-blue eyes.

_**"Hey, Amelia! You and your Pokémon really need to watch yourself out on the stage! You actually could've gotten a Pokémon hurt today! It's not right!"** _

_**"Picking on others is not proper etiquette for a Performer!"** _

_**"I didn't misinterpret anything. It's** _ **you** _**with the misinterpretation! ...I see a great opportunity for Performers and their Pokémon to show their beauty to the world together! But you can't do that effectively if you treat your fellow Performers like trash!"** _

Amelia clenched her fists tightly.

 _"That...That stupid hillbilly,"_ she thought furiously. _"She doesn't know a_ thing _about Pokémon Showcases! And she insists on talking down at me like that?! Like I'm some...some uncultured Grumpig?! And in spite of her classless behavior, she_ still _manages to win that ridiculous Theme Performance?! Even though I'm way more qualified than her to attain such a victory?!"_

At that point, Amelia's fists were trembling, and her pupils were trembling madly. Nearby Laurier Maison staff noticed her demeanor and were instinctive in distancing themselves from the wealthy, black-haired girl.

 _"_ How _?"_ she continued to think. _"How can this_ be _?! I...I should've_ won _that!_ I _should've been crowned the rightful winner! I should've had it all on that stage! How?! How'd it all go wrong?!"_

_**"Always keep your eye on the goal and always treat everyone as an obstacle to be utterly destroyed. That's the family way."** _

_"That's correct. I didn't take my obstacles seriously enough. Uncle Adam was right. I need to_ demolish _my competition. I need to knock them down a peg or two. Only then will I show my superior, undeniable beauty to all five corners of Kalos! And then I'll be able to get the respect and recognition I deserve from my-"_

"Oh, Miss Amelia!" a voice called, dispelling her thoughts.

Amelia's scowl became even more pronounced as her assistant waddled over to her like a fearful Piplup. He was sweating even more profusely, staining his collar and the fabric underneath his armpits, and even mixing with his irritating cologne to create an unpleasant waft of an odor. The young socialite briefly retched at this and struggled to hold her breath.

"What do you want?!" she snapped in a hoarse voice.

"I-I just w-wanted to c-c-co-congratulate you on y-your, uh..." The assistant gulped and struggled to find his next words. "Your, uh..."

The girl gritted her teeth. "Come on. Spit it out."

"Y-Y-Yo-Yo-Your, uh, m-m-ma-ma-mag-mag-ni-ni-f-f-f-"

"You're congratulating me on my defeat," Amelia interrupted in a chillingly calm voice. "Is that right?"

"Y-Yes." Then, the assistant's eyes bulged suddenly. "I-I mean, no! _No_ , Miss Amelia! I-I meant-"

"Get out of my sight. You're fired."

The poor assistant looked as if he was about to have a heart attack.

"B-But Miss Amelia," he protested, "I-I need this money! I-"

"GET OUT OF MY SIGHT, PEASANT!"

The assistant started blubbering, trying to find the right words to say. However, he was so overcome with shock and grief at his firing that he couldn't even manage to utter any simple syllables. Amelia scowled at him with disgust and prepared to walk off when...

"And that is why you couldn't win, young lady," a new voice said. Amelia's eyelid twitched at the voice's familiarity.

"What do _you_ want?" she demanded bitterly without turning around.

Palermo pursed her lips even more. "Your behavior clouds your judgment and blinds you from the true objective. That is why you didn't win the Fleurrh City Showcase and that is why you weren't able to win the Pokémon Search-and-Rescue Theme Performance. The fact that you cannot recognize the pattern behind your losses is even more disconcerting, and paints an unfortunate future for your Showcase career."

Amelia clenched her fists again. "What do _you_ know about winning Showcases?" Then, she twirled around and glared at Palermo hatefully. "You're just an old lady, a has-been, a joke, pining for Showcases that are long gone! And _you're_ the one who gets to decide who is a worthy Kalos Queen and who isn't?!" She scoffed haughtily. "Oh, _please_! Your star pupil is dragging down the Showcase scene with her presence and all the other Performers are at their wit's end trying to best her! Why else do you think no one's been able to dethrone Aria for years?! Now if anyone's gonna have a shot at beating her in the Master Class, then they must harden themselves and discard all superfluous trivialities in their lives in order to stay focused on the _true objective_!"

Palermo blinked idly. "You say I'm an old lady, that my views of Showcases are incompatible with today's views, that the Showcase scene has moved on without me. And yet you also say my star pupil, as you choose to call her, has overcome all odds for years and remains Kalos Queen to this day." She crossed her arms. "Do you see a hole in your logic?"

The Fleurrh City native gritted her teeth and looked away. "Whatever! I don't need any input from a hag like you!"

Palermo blinked again. "Perhaps I am too old. Perhaps the Showcase scene moved on without me. Perhaps you are right. But like it or not, you nor anyone else will be able to claim the crown from Aria until you recognize why she has held that title for so long. Then perhaps you'll realize that _you're_ the one pining for Showcases that are long gone."

Amelia's eyes widened with outrage. She puckered her lips with disgust and marched away from the producer, her steps booming in the hallway. Her hapless assistant, who had been standing in the background helplessly and listening to the conversation, yelped fearfully and stepped away so Amelia could avoid bumping into him.

Then, Amelia called sharply, "Come on. I want my makeup redone, pronto."

"M-M- _Me_?" the man stuttered. "B-But I thought I was-"

"I told you to come with me, imbecile! Do you want to be fired?!"

"A-A-ABSOLUTELY NOT, M-MISS AM-AMELIA! A-ABSOLUTELY NOT!"

Amelia heard her assistant waddling after her again, blubbering incoherently and desperately wiping the sweat off of his skin. She could also feel Palermo's sharp, strict blue eyes bearing down on her, judging her every move like she always did with any other Performer. This, coupled with the fact that it was her who was deciding the future of Performers that she deemed fit, sickened Amelia to her very core.

_**"** _ **_Perhaps I am too old. Perhaps the Showcase scene moved on without me. Perhaps you are right._ ** _**L** _ **_ike it or not, you nor anyone else will be able to claim the crown from Aria until you recognize why she has held that title for so long. Then perhaps you'll realize that you're the one pining for Showcases that are long gone."_ **

_"That stupid old hag,"_ she thought. _"Who does she think she is, anyway? She doesn't appreciate nor recognize my talent! ...She doesn't."_

* * *

Elsewhere, Adam Glazing was in the middle of drafting a document in a typewriter, gleefully so, when he abruptly felt his cellphone vibrating in his pocket. He growled with irritation before sticking his hand into the pocket, pulling out the small device, and answering the call.

"This had better be important, Nick," he snarled, "or I'll have your head."

 _ **"Hey, Adam!"**_ Nick greeted. _**"Hey, buddy! It's me, Nick!"**_

Adam resisted the urge to face-palm. "I _know_ it's you, Nick. I'd recognize your phone number from anywhere."

_**"** _ **Really** _**? Awwwww, how sweet!"** _

"Oh, for the love of... I'm gonna hang up now-"

 _ **"Wait, hold on a minute, man!"**_ Adam heard Nick hesitate for a brief moment. _**"Hey, remember that cool buff guy I bailed out of prison?"**_

"Yes." Adam remembered the phone call he got earlier in the day confirming the success of the prison break. "And don't forget, it was _my_ plan that helped you and your broke friends break that man out, so don't go around giving full credit to yourself when it's undeserved." Suddenly, he began to sweat nervously. "... _Why_? Don't tell me the cops tracked you guys down-"

_**"What?! No, man! We're just fine! We're still at our office!"** _

"You mean that rickety shack you call an office," Adam deadpanned, his voice unrestrained in the brutality of its tone.

_**"...Touche. Anyway...the man says he's looking for a** _ **Celebi _, of all things."_**

The green-haired man blinked rapidly with surprise. "A Celebi, you say?"

_**"Yeah! And now we're planning a way to capture that green thing."** _

"As if _that's_ gonna work out in your favor. If I remember correctly from my university studies, Celebi is quite the slippery one."

_**"And that's why I'm calling you. You're very good at making plans, Adam. With your input, we can get Celebi in a millisecond!"** _

"I can't do that right now. I'm in the middle of something more important-"

_**"Dude, we're talking about a** _ **Celebi _! It's not just a gold mine, it's a way for us to fix all of our lives! Just-Just think about it, man! You can finally get the better of your brother and take control of that family company of yours, just like you've always been talking about! And you don't even have to worry about all that jumbled stuff about inheritance and whatnot!"_**

Upon hearing that suggestion, Adam looked at the document he had been drafting. It was a letter to a board of directors, recommending the transference of inheritance rights from Amelia to him due to the former's apparent mental instability. At first, Adam was proud of the words he had written, but now, all effort and meaning was lost to him...

He crumpled up the paper and threw it towards a trash can on the other side of the hotel suite. He missed by just a few inches, but it didn't matter to him.

Smiling with giddy anticipation, he moved his mouth closer to the cellphone and said malevolently, "Tell me more about this plan, Nick..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yep. This is going to be the end of this chapter, quite unfortunately. Sorry, ladies and gentlemen. I know not much happened, but trust me, we will be getting a very exciting action sequence in the next couple of chapters! This chapter's just setting the tone for what's about to come! Now, I just wanted to make an announcement.
> 
> We're now fully caught up with this fic on FF.Net, and you'll have to wait over a month for the next chapter at most. I do apologize for that, everyone, but the situation over at FF.Net is that I took a break from writing "Pokémon" in order to focus on "My Hero Academia", because I've been REALLY getting into that. I'm currently working on an MHA project over there, and I'm also brainstorming other ideas because I can't stop thinking about MHA nowadays. Hopefully I'll be able to cross-post some of my MHA work here as well.
> 
> So yeah, you're going to have to be patient with me, grasshoppers. Outside of fanfiction, I still have quite a workload thanks to school. Oh, woe is me.
> 
> Well, hope you enjoyed this chapter! And I hope you'll wait patiently for the next chapter while I sort out my life and fics! With that, TheCartoonFanatic01 is out. PEACE!


	21. Crouching Poacher, Hidden Love

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welp, it's been a while since I last updated this, so I thought now was a good time as any to resume work on this. It's time to celebrate, everyone, for "The Way We Will Be" is making its triumphant return! :D :D :D
> 
> But, before we begin, some updates on how I've been this past year. In case you haven't been following any of my other activities on this site, I filled up some lost AmourShipping time by writing a three-shot set in the exact same universe as this fic, titled "Serena's Family Reunion". You do not have to worry about spoilers in that story; I made sure to avoid any overt references to "The Way We Will Be". If you want some more world-building for the universe I set up here, feel free to check "Serena's Family Reunion" out!
> 
> Outside of "Pokémon", I've been really, really, REALLY getting into "My Hero Academia". I just can't stop thinking of new ideas for fics for that fandom. Even if I have one fic ongoing, I just want to do more!
> 
> From a real-life angle, if you have been following my profile, then you will know that I came down with an ear infection that left me out of the game for quite a bit. I had it for a few days since the tail-end of 2019, and I think I caught it due to a combination of a seasonal allergy that I caught days earlier and me just liking to scratch my ear-hole with my dirty fingernails. So yeah, it was bad for a bit, and I had to take some medication to make sure I recovered a lot quicker. What a way to start off 2020, am I right?!
> 
> In further news, I am in the home-stretch when it comes to my academics. I'm currently in my last semester at college, and in May, I'll be graduating with a Bachelor's Degree in Literature and Writing Studies! Wish me the best of luck, y'all! I'm probably going to need it!
> 
> Also, I celebrated my 24th birthday a couple of months ago in 2019! It was pretty fun.
> 
> Alright, I think I'm done rambling! On with the long-awaited chapter. ENJOY!
> 
> P.S.: In order to make up for lost time on this fic, this chapter will set up an exciting action sequence that'll be featured in the next two chapters! I can guarantee lots of excitement is up ahead! :D :D :D
> 
> P.P.S.: The fic's overall length has been expanded again! Earlier, I said it would be 30 chapters long, but now, it'll be 35, in order to better accommodate all the stuff I have planned for the plot. I have a very good idea of how things are going to end up from here on out, and I don't expect the total amount of chapters to change anymore. So, rejoice! 35 chapters of AmourShipping goodness!

_"This place hasn't changed one bit."_

Parker peered at the Laurier Maison with a nonchalance that almost bordered lifelessness. The drawn hood of his sweater obscured the better part of his facial features from public view, and his calculating eyes were concealed behind a pair of dark sunglasses. People walked past him as they traveled to and from the Laurier Maison; every pedestrian was engaged in excitement about what the Exhibition Showcase had to offer next. In their enthusiasm, no one paid the motionless and uninterested Parker any mind.

"Hey, hey, Parker!" a voice called. "Yo, man, check this out!"

Behind his sunglasses, Parker rolled his eyes in irritation as he shot a side-glance to his right. Running up to his position, like toddlers who had just bought ice cream, were Nick, Floyd, and Lloyd, all of whom were wearing giddy looks on their faces; the latter was holding an extra-large plastic cup in his hand and sipping out of a large, red plastic straw. Then, the Pokémon poacher's eyebrows shot upward.

"What...are _those_?" he asked.

"Oh, these?" Nick replied, gesturing to his, Floyd's, and Lloyd's poorly-made mime costumes. "They were on sale! Floyd bought 'em!"

"Yeah!" Floyd added. "It was a good sale too!"

"Okay," Parker said, slightly taken aback. "So, tell me... _why_?"

"Why, you ask?" Floyd puffed out his chest with pride. "Well we figured we'd need disguises for when we nab that Celebi! That way, those kids that have been giving you trouble, they can't and won't see us coming!"

"What's the point of that? They know who _I_ am, but not who _you_ are. Your only purpose in the plan is to funnel Celebi to _me_. You're _not_ gonna do anything else!"

" _Really_?" Lloyd replied with disappointment. "Aw, come _on_ , man! We want in on the action too!"

"And risk jeopardizing the entire operation?" Parker glanced at the Laurier Maison again. "I don't think so."

"Come on, Parker, my man!" exclaimed Nick. "We can be tough and villainous when the situation calls for it!"

"Heh, heh, Nick, a tough and villainous guy," another voice drawled. "When that happens, I'll throw myself off the Prism Tower."

The quartet looked behind them and saw Sid and Cecile approaching their position. Unlike the others, they were wearing more casual civilian clothing.

"Hey, you guys don't have any disguises!" Floyd exclaimed with disbelief.

"Yeah," Cecile replied. "Like we'd be willing to spend an unnecessary amount of money on disguises that'll make us look like silly clowns more than anything else." Then, she eyed the large plastic cup in Lloyd's hand. "Or a soft drink that I'm gonna assume you bought with a special coupon?"

"Not _a_ special coupon," corrected Lloyd. " _The_ special coupon." He procured a slip of paper with his free hand. "Whenever I show this to any of the vendors around this place, they'll give me an extra-large cup of Pokémon Showcase Committee-sponsored sodas and soft drinks!"

"Wow. How _invigorating_."

However, Sid had his eyes on a wagon that Floyd had been wheeling behind him. "Uhhhhh...what...is _that_?"

"Oh, this?" Floyd asked. He too eyed the wagon, which was carrying a water tank full of golden Magikarp. "Only the very thing that'll grant all of us prosperous futures!"

"Oh, do enlighten me," Sid drawled sarcastically.

"So I found this guy who was selling all these rare golden Magikarp! He told me they're valuable, and people would pay a lot of money for one of these! Then he offered me a business tip! Hey, hey, listen! If you breed these Magikarp, then you will get even _more_ golden Magikarp that you could sell for fabulous prices! He offered to sell me one of the Magikarp for half the regular price, but..." Floyd gestured to the tank. "I swindled the sucker and bought the whole tank! HA! Now, in addition to having that Celebi, we have an endless supply of golden Magikarp that'll serve as our cash Miltank! With them on our side, we'll be the richest people in the whole Universe!"

Sid blinked slowly. "How much did that tank cost?"

"Well...I dunno. I had to give my whole wallet, my Holo Caster, a-and even my grandmama's family heirloom necklace to the guy-"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, w-wa-wait a minute!" Lloyd interrupted, his eyes widening with incredulity. "Floyd, y-you gave away grandmama's necklace for _that_?!"

"Yeah, I did, and I sorta regret it..." Then, he flashed a wide smile. "But hey! It was worth it in the long term!"

"Right," Sid said. "You _do_ know those Magikarp are just a scam, right?"

"Yes, I-" Floyd's mind suddenly became blank. "Say what now?"

" _That_..." The other man pointed at the Magikarp tank. "Is a common scamming method, Floyd. You sell weak, worthless Pokémon like Magikarp, hyping them up as being magical or lucky or having special properties or what-have-you. A poor sucker falls for it and pays out their life savings to get one of those. Now they're stuck with a useless Pokémon that can't actually do anything worthwhile. As for the vendor, he just gets away with all the money."

Floyd and Lloyd stared at Sid with horror, while Nick and Cecile stared awkwardly at the Magikarp tank.

"Wh... _What_?" Floyd asked. "B-But he offered me one for half the price!"

"You really think a smart businessman would sell a so-called valuable Pokémon for half the price?" replied Sid.

"B-But...h-he said they were _valuable_..."

"Shiny Magikarp aren't as rare as you think. Besides, that golden color is _clearly_ painted on."

"Okay, how do _you_ know that?!"

Sid angrily pointed at the tank. "You can _see_ the paint peeling off and showing the red underneath!"

Floyd looked at the tank and nodded in acknowledgment. "Oh, yeah. You're right, man." Then, after a minute of awkward silence, he collapsed to his knees. "I was RIPPED OFF!"

"Good going, idiot. You just fell for one of the oldest tricks in the book."

"That's something _amateurs_ tend to pull off," Cecile added jeeringly.

"GRANDMAMA!" Floyd hollered into the sky, startling several pedestrians within earshot. "I'M SO SORRY! I FAILED YOU!"

"HOW COULD YOU DO THIS TO US, FLOYD?!" Lloyd roared at his twin brother. Then, he paused for a minute to take yet another sip of his soft drink. "GRANDMAMA WOULD BE SO ASHAMED!"

"I HAVE DISHONORED THE FAMILY NAME!" Floyd immediately started punching himself. "I MUST BE PUNISHED!"

"What family name?" Cecile whispered while rolling her eyes mockingly.

"Quiet down, you imbecile!" Parker snapped, causing the hapless Floyd to freeze mid-punch. "I am _not_ going to have my operation taken apart all because you dimwits decided to spend too much money on a whim! Now, gather around!"

Nick, Lloyd, Sid, and Cecile looked at one another hesitantly before following Parker's orders, one by one. However, Floyd still remained on his knees and was now looking at the Magikarp tank with an expression of misery, grief, and loathing.

"Okay," Cecile said, "notwithstanding that idiot-"

"HEY!" Floyd snapped.

"What's the plan?"

Parker simply grinned at them.

* * *

Unbeknownst to Parker and everyone else in his group, a certain figure had walked past them and was strolling towards the Laurier Maison. Civilians and tourists nearby stood clear of this person, feeling wary of the sight of her grimy-looking, olive-green cloak, which seemed too big for their figure and therefore concealed most of their features.

Once they were midway to the Laurier Maison, the figure slowly inched their head up...revealing a mat of blue hair and a pair of eyes just as blue, shimmering hopefully underneath the drawn hood.

 _"Almost there..."_ Evelyn thought. _"Hopefully Yancy and the others are somewhere here..."_

* * *

**_"...I mean, what's there to_ think _about? I-It's gonna be a thing, isn't it? Whether we like it or not, we will be married and have kids and be happy together, the whole package... It's inevitable, as my mom would say."_**

_"...How do_ you _feel about it?"_

**_"How do_ I _feel about it? ...I...I feel great about it! I mean, you've seen me interact with Selene and Yancy!"_**

_"Yeah, but...how do you feel about having them_ with me _?"_

**_"C-Come again?"_ **

_"I mean, how do you feel about marrying me? Having me as your husband? Is that something you want? I-I mean, there are so many guys out there in the world, guys you could have as husbands! ...I know we already know what's ahead of us, our future, and Selene and Yancy are good people. But I ask this because I want this whole thing to be on our own terms. I want_ us _to decide our own future-"_

**_"Of course! I'd like to have you as my husband!"_ **

_"You...You_ would _?!"_

**_"Ye-Yeah! ...W-Well, I mean... I... I..."_ **

"Daddy?"

The raven-haired boy looked down and was met by Selene's youthful eyes. She was still wearing the flower-topped toque that she bought in the Laurier Maison boutique, while Celebi was still in her arms, clad in the Sewaddle vest. Ash couldn't help but fleetingly think about how cute Selene looked right now.

"Y-Yes?" he replied awkwardly.

"You look sad," Selene commented, stroking one of Celebi's antennae as she spoke. "Are you okay?"

"I'm-I'm alright, Selene. It's just...I've...I've got a lot on my mind..."

"About the future...?"

**_"What about_ you _, Ash?! Do you_ want _to marry Serena?! ..._ _Like, do you_ want _her as your wife?"_**

Ash hesitated briefly. "Ye...Yeah..."

"Oh." Selene stared ahead, watching as her Pichu scurried alongside Pikachu and Dedenne, clearly having the time of its life. "I bet you're still feeling all weird, huh...?"

"Well, of course! I'm still learning a lot of stuff from you and Nate. To think the world is gonna be like what you just said in twenty years is...is...is-"

"Awesome, isn't it?"

And then, Selene smiled from cheek to cheek, her energetic optimism almost blinding. Ash soon realized how much of a close resemblance her smile was to his. It was an odd sight, but also a pleasing one.

Nevertheless, he honestly said, "Actually, I was gonna say it makes me...oh, I dunno, a little nervous..."

Selene tilted her head in curiosity. "Huh? Why're you nervous, Daddy? You know you're gonna do it, and you know you're gonna do fine, just like you always do! Everything Natey and I told you was the truth!"

"I know that, Selene. It's just that...I feel like I shouldn't have learned about this stuff. It...It feels like cheating."

Selene's eyes widened a little. " _Ohhhhhhhhh_... That's right..." Then, she smiled again. "Then you can just try really hard to forget about all of it, Daddy!"

Ash couldn't help but smile in spite of the subject of their conversation. Though Selene took on most of Serena's looks, she definitely inherited his bright yet clueless personality. Put all of that in a girl the same age as Bonnie, and the result would be a bundle of innocence and cuteness.

"If only things were _that_ simple, Selene..."

"That's all I've got, Daddy. I'm sorry." Selene then ran over to her father's teenage counterpart and hugged his legs. "But I don't want you to forget me. I like you! I mean I like the young you; the you from my time, I love! Very, very much! As much as a Munchlax likes food! And you like me..." She looked up at him with pleading eyes that were just like Serena's. "Don't you?"

Ash chuckled and ruffled the top of the girl's head. "Well, of _course_ I like you, Selene. Everyone here likes you."

"Well..." Selene's gaze shifted to Bonnie, who was coddling an unhappy, restless Squishy. "Except Auntie Bonnie..."

Ash followed her gaze, and his own softened. "Oh yeah, that's right..."

"Auntie Bonnie hates me." The raven-haired girl looked down glumly. "I wanna be her friend, but she won't let me. She's so much nicer in the future..."

"Well, I can't exactly blame her. You _did_ try to touch Squishy without her permission. You should always ask someone for permission."

Selene looked up rebelliously. "Hey, don't blame me, Daddy! She always lets me touch Squishy! B-Back in the future, I-I mean!"

"Well, people never stay the same across time, Selene. They change all the time..." Ash looked at Selene and gave her a wise smile. "I'm sure if you traveled back to when I was just setting off on my Pokémon journey, then you'd be surprised by how different I'd be."

"Yeah, that's true." Selene focused on Pikachu. "You told me how Pikachu hated you at first."

"Mm-hm." Ash smiled nostalgically upon recalling the moment he protected Pikachu from the flock of Spearow. "And that should be something to think about, Selene. Don't you worry about Bonnie not liking you, 'cause she's bound to warm up to you eventually. She's a very nice girl; she can't stay mad at you forever."

"Yes, that's true, Daddy!" Selene started bouncing on her heels while wearing the widest and brightest of smiles. "I'll be patient and wait for Auntie Bonnie to like me!"

Ash chuckled in response. Then, with his face hardening, he trained his sights on the back of Serena's head. The girl was busy talking with Shauna and Aria about the vast amount of clothes they bought from the Maison's boutiques.

"Anyway...it just takes some getting used to, knowing what the future has in store for me." He then pursed his lips as he recalled Nate's awkward question. "Make that a whole _lot_ of getting used to..."

"But you can do it," Selene replied. "You always make lots of friends after all, Daddy! This is the same thing!"

"I guess..." Then, Ash smiled a little. "Yeah, I guess so."

"Hooray!" Selene held out her arms and jumped with joy, with Celebi bouncing comfortably a little in her arms. "Daddy's feeling all better!"

Ash smiled and then sighed as he watched Selene resume her gentle ministrations of Celebi. He didn't know why exactly, but Selene's happiness and overall bubbly nature provoked from within him an extreme surge of paternal protectiveness over her. If anything happened to make her cry, he would stop at nothing to find the source of her grief and make it pay.

Then, upon realizing what he was thinking about, Ash shook his head in surprise.

 _"Jeez!"_ he thought with disbelief. _"First I'm starting to have a new view of Serena, a-and now fatherhood's getting to my head! What's gotten_ into _me today?!"_

"Well, well," a voice said, "aren't you two just the sweetest?"

Ash looked across his shoulder and saw Trevor, who had slowed down so he could join his side. The young photographer was looking down at Selene, who was coddling Celebi while unconsciously groping at Ash's pant leg.

"Mind if I take a picture?" Trevor asked.

"Ooh, ooh, a picture!" Selene cried in response. "Sure! Let's take a photo, Daddy!"

"Well," replied Ash with a fond smile, "if that's what Selene wants, that's what you'll get."

"YAY!"

Ash knelt beside Selene so they could be at an equal height. They leaned their heads against one another so Trevor could have an easier time fitting them within the field of his camera.

"Alright, you two!" the orange-haired boy called. "On three! One...two...three!"

"Cheeeeese!" Selene said.

Trevor took the photo and then checked on his camera. Once he smiled proudly, a curious Ash walked up to him.

"Hey, lemme see, Trevor," the raven-haired Trainer said.

Unbeknownst to any of them, someone had been eavesdropping on the entire exchange. Miette's smirk widened slightly as she pretended to admire the contents of her shopping bag.

"Heh heh heh..."

* * *

"There! That must be them."

"Yep! They match the photos that Parker guy took, alright."

"Hmmmmm... These are some pretty good photos..."

Sid and Lloyd lowered the photos they had of Selene, Ash, and the rest of the group, but Floyd continued to admire his. The two men continued observing the group from a distance for a couple more moments before the trio retreated behind the pillar they had been using as a cover. Lloyd was still suckling at the straw, the slurping sounds becoming increasingly audible.

"Alright," Sid said. "Now, remember the plan, guys."

"Oooooh, I can't _wait_ to do some evildoing!" Lloyd exclaimed giddily once he was done drinking. "Let's do it now!"

"NO!"

Before Lloyd could burst out of their hiding place, Sid grabbed him by the shoulders and held him back.

"No, you _idiot_!" Sid snapped between clenched teeth. "Were you even _listening_ to what Parker was saying?!"

"Ummmmm..." Lloyd furrowed his brow in concentration. "He lost me at... 'Now gather around'."

"You _idiot_!" Sid slapped him in the cheek, stunning him. "Alright, I'm gonna repeat this once and ONLY once!"

"O-Okay," replied Lloyd, nodding meekly.

"Now, I don't know how, but Parker calculated the peak hour for the amount of people that'll be in this place."

Lloyd nodded. "Okay."

"That peak hour's about to start in five or so minutes. And once it does-"

Lloyd nodded as he began sipping his drink again. "Mm-hm."

"Cecile and Nick are gonna cause an emergency in the food court-"

Lloyd nodded as he continued to sip his drink. "Mm-hm."

"That'll create a bit of a panic, and then-"

Lloyd nodded as he continued to sip his drink. "Mm-hm."

Sid frowned angrily, his mind reeling from Lloyd's audible sipping. "Are you listening to me, Lloyd?"

Lloyd nodded as he continued to sip his drink. "Mm-hm."

Sid pursed his lips and crossed his arms. "Okay, what'd I just say?"

Lloyd nodded as he continued to sip his drink. "Mm-hm."

...

"Okay, where'd you lose me?"

...

...

...

Lloyd nodded as he continued to sip his drink. "Mm-hm."

"For the love of!" Sid whipped his head towards Floyd. "Floyd, are you- STOP LOOKING AT THOSE PHOTOS!"

"AGH!" Floyd nearly dropped his photo in a panic. "Sorry, I'm sorry! I-It's just, that girl with the blue hair looks r-r- _really_ cute and sweet! I think I'll be rooting for her during the Showcase-"

"Will you pay _attention_?! 'Cause your brother here sure won't!"

"Oh, Lloyd? Pffft! You probably lost him the moment you started explaining the plan. I mean, you did for me-"

Lloyd nodded as he continued to sip his drink. "Mm-hm."

Sid clutched his hair in anger. "I swear, if you two don't start paying attention to me within the next thirty seconds, I am gonna explode like a _Voltorb_!"

"Well, isn't that the point?" Floyd asked. "To create an emergency that'll stir up a panic?" Then, his eyes lit up. "Oh, you know what, the salesman that sold me the tank of Magikarp, he's also been selling Voltorb! Just wait here, you guys! I'll buy one so we could have it use Explosion and-"

"HAVE YOU LOST YOUR FRIGGING MIND, FLOYD?!"

Lloyd nodded as he continued to sip his drink. "Mm-hm."

Then, he burped.

* * *

"Dere da twoips go."

The disguised Meowth lowered his binoculars and bared his fingers in a malevolent snicker. He was currently sitting in the middle of the cafeteria and positioned a few yards away from Ash's group.

"Now's da poifect oppertunity ta snatch Pikachu!" he declared triumphantly.

"UGH!" another voice huffed, startling Meowth with its sternness. "You're _still_ thinking about Pikachu, Meowth? And at an inopportune time like this?!"

Meowth hesitantly looked up to see an equally disguised Jessie looking into a hand-mirror while applying makeup on her face. Her Wobbuffet and Gourgeist were beside her, loyally waiting for their Trainer's next command.

"W-W-Well," Meowth replied in a slight stutter, "w-we haven't seen any action in dis story since, like, Ch-Chapta 3! Team Rocket needs der time ta shine!"

"Oh, I'll tell you who needs their time to shine, Meowth, and that's me!" Jessie lowered her mirror and stuck her chin out snobbishly. "This Showcase has been going on for a while, but I still haven't gotten _my_ turn on the stage! It's a disgrace, I tell you! And speaking of disgraces..."

She cast a deadly look towards James, who was lovingly staring at a photo of a Chimecho. The blue-haired man failed to notice he was now the subject of his teammate's wrath.

" _James_!" Jessie barked, finally catching his attention.

"AGH!" James nearly dropped his photo, but managed to catch it in time. "Y-Yes, Jess?"

"I heard about your shenanigans during the Pokémon Nursing round! Apparently, you've been trying to shout _tips_ to one of those twerpy Performers?!"

James was horrified by the fiery look that erupted in Jessie's eyes. "AAAGGGHHH! I'm sorry, Jess, I'm so, so sorry! I-It's just, well, th-th-that girl was taking care of a Chingling, a-and it just reminded me of my precious Chimecho, a-and-"

"Enough!" Jessie interrupted, drawing a terrified squeak from her teammate. "I do not wanna hear anymore of it! Know this, James, and know this well: the only Performer you're gonna be shouting for is ME! Do you understand?!"

"Y-Yes, J-Jessie..."

"Good. Now then, where was I? Oh, yeah!"

Jessie pulled out her hand-mirror and began applying additional finishing touches on her makeup. Her distraction allowed James to turn his head towards Meowth, who too was terrified into silence by Jessie's outburst.

"Jess is _really_ taking this Showcase seriously, huh...?" James whispered.

"Yeah," the Scratch Cat Pokémon replied. "I tink she forgot dat da Showcase doesn't require a winner..."

* * *

Unbeknownst to Team Rocket, a pair of people passed by their table without giving them a second thought. Looking over her shoulder, Cecile kept a lookout while she and Nick ventured towards one of the food court kitchens. However, as they were getting close to their intended destination, a savory waft of a scent caught Nick's olfactory senses, and he couldn't help but stop and sniff at the air like a hungry Lillipup.

"Mmmmm...smells like _barbecue_..." he said to himself.

He was about to wander off in the opposite direction when Cecile noticed and yanked him backward.

"No, you _idiot_!" she snapped in a hushed voice. "Remember what Parker told us! We can't be off-schedule even by a few seconds!"

"Aw, come _ooooon_ , Cecile!" moaned Nick. "I'm _hungry_! Can't I just get a quick sampler of something? I thought I saw a vendor giving out some-"

"NO! For the love of Arceus!" Cecile then shook Nick slightly. "If you're gonna be awesome and cool like Parker, then you gotta think, feel, and breathe like Parker, okay?! And you can start by not!"

She lightly slapped Nick in the right cheek.

"Being!"

She lightly slapped Nick in the left cheek.

"Such!"

She lightly slapped Nick in the right cheek again.

"An!"

She lightly slapped Nick in the left cheek again.

" _Idiot_!"

She lightly slapped Nick in the right cheek yet again.

"All the time!"

She delivered a slight jab at Nick's lower jaw, stunning him.

"Capieche?!"

"C-Ca-Capieche..." Nick mumbled.

"Good! Now, then..."

She pulled out two Poké Balls and triggered them into opening up without throwing them. There was two small beams of light, and once they subsided, two minuscule Pokémon were standing by her feet, looking up at her expectantly. One was a yellow, spider-like Pokémon with sky-blue eyes; while the other was a white-and-periwinkle, candle-like Pokémon with a flickering purple flame.

"Joltik, Litwick," she instructed, pointing towards a door that led into one of the kitchens, "I need you to get inside there. Once you do, Joltik, find an electrical socket that already has a cord plugged in. Once you do, feed on its electricity, and when you have enough, discharge enough electricity into the cord and socket until you spark a fire."

Joltik nodded, whereupon Cecile focused on Litwick. "As for you, Litwick, check on the fire's progress and use just a little Will-O-Wisp to strengthen it. Once the fire's big enough, you two run for it and come back to me, okay?"

Joltik and Litwick both nodded. However, before they could scurry off, Cecile stopped them with a raised palm.

"And remember," she warned, "above all, the fire needs to look _electrical_. You two can't attract suspicion to yourselves."

The two miniature Pokémon nodded again, then they scurried towards the door their Trainer pointed out, taking shelter in the corner. Once it opened, and a server emerged with a tray of steaming food, the duo stealthily entered the kitchen before the door could close on them.

"Awesome!" Nick whispered giddily. "Ooooooh, this is so _exciting_!" He clapped his hands together in delight. "Okay, okay, so what's _my_ role?"

" _Your_ role is to keep watch with me," Cecile replied flatly.

"Keep _watch_?! That doesn't sound cool _or_ awesome! Can't I just send out any of my Pokémon and stir up a lil' trouble-?"

"No, absolutely not! We're supposed to play innocent bystanders and keep everyone's attention on us!"

"Keep everyone's attention on _us_? How're we supposed to do that if we're also supposed to play innocent bystanders?!"

Cecile sighed and shook her head with disappointment. "...Have you ever heard of the phrase 'shouting fire in a crowded theater', Nick?"

* * *

"AGH!" Clemont collapsed to his knees with a girlish moan. "I'm _tired_!"

"Same here, man," Tierno replied. "In fact, I'm more than tired; I'm _wasted_!"

Clemont and Tierno weren't the only ones to be bogged down by exhaustion. Nate, Calem, Trevor, and Moose all dropped the many shopping bags they were coerced into carrying. Once they were relieved of their burden, the four boys started clutching their sore arms with relieved looks. The girls stopped and glared at the males with disbelief.

"Ohhhhh, come _on_!" Shauna exclaimed. "Are you _serious_ right now, Tierno, Trevor?! You two have been traveling around the region for _months_ , but you can't be trusted to carry a few bags for me?!"

"A-A _few_ bags?!" Tierno replied, his eyes bulging. "Shauna, we're all carrying, like, twenty bags each!"

"Twenty bags each," remarked Shulin with a roll of her eyes. "Ah, grow some spines, you guys. You're not carrying _that much_."

"But it's still a lot!" Calem cried. Then, he spotted Serena and gave her a pleading expression. "Please, Serena! Give your good ole cuz a break and lighten my load a little, will you?"

"Aw gee, lemme think about it, Calem," replied Serena. She put a fingertip on her chin, furrowed her brow, and then said a second later, "Nope!"

"You can't bargain with the girls, Calem," Trevor commented, sweat dripping down his temples. "They're like tyrants. The moment they buy something, we have to carry it for them. It's the law of the land."

"Well, it's 'cause you guys need to be gentlemen and help the ladies out!" replied Kazalie.

"Help the ladies out?! You girls aren't even _doing_ anything but talk about what clothes to buy next!"

"Aw, come on," Meyer suddenly said. Unlike the other males in the group, he had no difficulty carrying the bags assigned to him. "Suck it up and be men. There's nothing wrong with taking on a heavy payload."

"Easy for _you_ to say, Dad!" Clemont wheezed. "You're 110 percent muscle and negative 110 percent skin and bones!"

"110 percent?" Bonnie repeated with an arched eyebrow. "Wow, Clemont's _really_ lost it now."

"Nenene," squeaked Dedenne, while Squishy just garbled something unintelligible.

As for Meyer, he pursed his lips at his son. "You know, son, this is a _perfect_ opportunity for you to start building up your musculature. You should never neglect your duty of maintaining and improving your physique. Now, I know you're gonna marry this Korrina girl in the future, but how're you gonna accomplish that with that body of yours? Not to mention that resolve of yours. Girls like a guy who will help them out and lighten their load, no matter how tough and scary the task looks." Then, he widened his gaze to accommodate the other exhausted boys. "The same goes for all of you."

The boys simply moaned with disbelief in response, but Layla, who was standing nearby, nodded sagely in agreement.

"That's true," she said. "True indeed." She looked across her shoulder and gently elbowed the approaching Moose. "Hey, maybe you should listen to him, Moose."

"Guhhhhh..." Moose moaned. His arms continued to strain from the combined weight of the bags he was carrying.

However, Grace shot Meyer a suspicious glare. "Okay," she said. "Is _that_ why you don't have a problem with all the bags I keep shoving into your arms? 'Cause you're trying to charm me or something?"

Meyer looked down at her and smirked playfully. "I dunno. Your words, not mine."

The former Rhyhorn Racer scowled nastily at him. When she was met with another smirk, she gritted her teeth, grabbed some of the bags slung over Meyer's arms, and yanked them away from his grasp.

"You think you may be a Casanova, Mr. Hotshot Electrician, but your wily methods of seduction aren't gonna work on me! Now, gimme more of those bags!"

As Grace continued to yank more bags out of Meyer's arms, Layla stared at the scene with a crafty smirk.

"Wow," she said. "Spoken like a real tsundere."

"I heard that, Layle!" Grace snapped without looking at her.

"Ooh, ooh!" Selene cried as she and Ash joined the others. "There's that word again! Tsunadery!"

"It's 'tsundere', Selene," corrected Layla.

Selene promptly tugged Ash's pant leg. "Daddy, what does that mean?"

Ash blinked slowly with confusion. "I...I really don't know..." He looked at Yancy. "Hey, Yancy, Selene wants to know what 'tsundere' means."

" _Still_?" Yancy looked at her younger sister. "Selene, I told you I'll tell you that when you're older."

Selene puffed out her cheeks angrily. "But I wanna know NOW!"

"Biiiii..." Celebi added pleadingly.

"Pichu-pi!" Pichu squeaked in agreement.

Very soon, the group became engaged in several conversations. Most of them were locked into another argument about the ethical responsibility of the men carrying the bags for the women. The only ones who didn't participate were Blanche and Nini, both of whom were standing awkwardly to the side. Meanwhile, Yancy was trying her best to placate Selene's mounting curiosity about the term "tsundere". While all of that was transpiring, Aria approached Serena from behind and tapped on her shoulder to catch the honey-blonde's attention.

"O-Oh!" Serena exclaimed. After looking around, she furtively whispered, "Yes, Aria?"

Aria took one last glance at the squabbling group before asking, "Is this...something your family does often...?"

"Huh?" Then, Serena smiled and gently shook her head. "No, not really. But don't worry about it, Aria. No one's really at each other's throats." She looked over her shoulder to observe the conflicts. "I guess this is all because this is everyone's first time in Kiloude. They wanna do lots of things, and then conflicts of interest pop up because of it. We girls wanna go shopping, while the boys want to do battling-related stuff. But once the Exhibition Showcase starts up again, everyone's gonna forget this ever happened."

"Oh. That's a relief." Aria heaved out a relieved sigh. "I was worried this was gonna be a bad impression..."

Serena's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "A...A bad impression? Of what?"

"Huh?" The redheaded Kalos Queen looked at her. "What?"

"What do you mean by 'bad impression'?" Serena blinked slowly. "Are...Are you trying to _study_ my family or something?"

"Wh- _What_?! N- _No_!" Aria started waving her hands. "No, no, no! I-I didn't mean it like that, Serena!"

"Oh... W-Well..." Serena felt like she shouldn't ask something like this to her idol, but her curiosity was overwhelming her now. "What _did_ you mean, then?"

Before Aria could respond, they, along with everyone else in the lobby, heard a small explosion coming from the direction of the food court. Soon, they heard a couple of voices yelling out, "FIRE! FIRE! FIRE!"

"Whoa, what's going on?" Ash asked.

Everyone's heads turned towards the direction of the food court, where two people were panicking and flailing their arms in an overly exaggerated fashion. One was a woman with cinnabar-colored hair and reddish-pink eyes, who was wearing a raspberry-pink T-shirt and tight-fitting beige shorts with tawny-colored suspenders. The other was a small, rotund man with orange hair and beady eyes that gave him the overall semblance of Dedenne; he was also wearing a rather poorly-made mime costume that made him stand out too much.

"FIRE!" the two shouted at the top of their lungs. "THERE'S A FIRE!"

At that moment, a small fireball erupted from one of the restaurants. Ash, Serena, and the others watched as the doors to that restaurant flew open, allowing the cooks and servers to flee the kitchen in terror. Two of the cooks' clothes bore a number of burn-marks that emitted small wisps of smoke. Nervous murmurs broke out amongst the crowd of onlookers.

"Oh, my gosh!" Layla cried, clasping her hands over her mouth in shock. "This looks bad!"

"Quick!" Meyer shouted. "Someone get a fire extinguisher!"

But before anyone could react, another, larger fireball bloomed out of the restaurant, showering the food court in flames and heat. The civilians eating in the area fled screaming, and Serena saw Jessilee shrieking and running for her life while her friends tried their best to put out the flames burning on the tip of her hair.

"I'm-I'm calling the fire department!" exclaimed a fearful Aria. But before she could procure her cellphone, Ash held out his arm, stopping her in her tracks.

"We can't wait for the firefighters to come," the Pallet Town native said, keeping his auburn eyes trained on the fire. "Not anymore. If we wait a second longer, the fire's gonna get bigger." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a Poké Ball. "We have to work together and put it out ourselves. Go, Greninja!"

Ash threw the Poké Ball into the air, summoning the Ninja Pokémon in a flash of light. He flexed his arms in preparation upon seeing the blazing inferno. Calem smiled knowingly and stepped forward, his hand holding a Poké Ball of his own.

"Right behind you, Ash!" he said. "Come on out, Empoleon!"

"Same here!" Tierno cried before throwing his own Poké Ball. "Blastoise, help the others out!"

Upon seeing the three summon their Water-type Pokémon, a number of onlookers followed suit. Within seconds, a small variety of Water-types advanced into the food court, led by Greninja and Empoleon. A third fireball blasted out from the restaurant, causing several to flinch. However, Greninja, Empoleon, and Blastoise stood their ground.

"Greninja, use Water Shuriken!" ordered Ash.

"Empoleon, use Hydro Pump!" Calem commanded.

"Use Hydro Cannon, Blastoise!" Tierno cried with a graceful spin.

The three moves were fired into the smoky restaurant, towards the direction of the fire that had been quickly spreading inside the kitchen. These were followed by many other commands and many other Water-type moves.

Once the sweltering heat of the fire began to die down, leaving the kitchen entirely dominated by thick, dark smoke, an enormous cheer erupted from the crowd, overwhelming the entire room in their relief. Many of the onlookers applauded Ash, Calem, Tierno, and the others who had decided to step forward and take the initiative, while Serena and the others watched with pride. Clemont, Trevor, Meyer, Yancy, Nate, Miette, Nini, and Blanche walked over to join Ash, Calem, and Tierno.

"Huh, wow..." Aria said, impressed as she scanned the onlookers. "Is this, uh... I-Is this a common occurrence in your journey, Serena?"

"Yeah, pretty much..." replied Serena. Her gaze was transfixed on Ash, who was not paying attention to the celebratory reaction and was instead focused on making sure the last flames were put out. "That's Ash, alright. Always stepping up to help in a situation..."

"I'll say," added Shauna, even though she was entirely focused on Calem.

"HOORAY, **DADDY**!" Selene hollered, the girl bouncing up and down on her heels in enthusiasm while she continued to hold onto Celebi. Fortunately, her cry was drowned out by the crowd's cheering, preventing it from reaching the ears of Aria, Blanche, Kazalie, Shulin, and others.

Unfortunately, this also allowed someone to sneak up behind her while in plain sight. Before she knew it, a large, hammy hand reached down and thrust a damp cloth into her nose and mouth. Selene tried to cry out for help and struggle, but the cloth muffled her voice, its heavy odor overwhelming her sense of smell. Celebi gasped in realization and tried to do something, but it found out its movements were still debilitated by its injuries. It couldn't do a thing to break free from Selene's grasp. Within seconds, the little girl fell limp, but before she could collapse to the floor, a muscular arm caught her.

As for Celebi, once Selene's grip on it slackened, it nearly slid off her body and fell to the floor, only for another muscular arm to catch it. Celebi became paralyzed in terror as a familiar face stared down at it, relishing in having it in his grasp.

"I've got you now, Celebi," Parker snarled in satisfaction. "Don't even think about resisting. If you do, well..." He nudged Selene's body. "Use your imagination."

" _Biiiii_..." Celebi whimpered fearfully, but it did nothing else.

Parker sneered triumphantly before glancing at Serena and her group. They were just inches apart, and yet, the crowd's celebratory cheers prevented them from hearing a thing that had just transpired. Not even Selene's Pichu had noticed its unofficial owner's predicament, for it was standing beside Pikachu and Dedenne, watching as Ash extinguished the last of the flames.

 _"Yes,"_ the Pokémon poacher thought. _"Celebrate all you want, fools. Celebrate while I snatch your precious little girl and this Celebi right under your nose."_

With that, Parker lifted the motionless Selene into his arms and began carrying her like a father would do to his child. As for Celebi, it held onto Selene's chest, as if its proximity to the girl was its only source of comfort. Parker made his leave, and as he did, Sid, Floyd, and Lloyd moved in to take his earlier spot, obscuring him from the view of anyone else. Floyd and Lloyd watched as Parker left with Selene and Celebi before snickering mischievously and fist-bumping each other.

* * *

"Wow, Ash!" Grace said, smiling with her arms crossed. "You sure did a good job putting out that fire!"

"Pika-pikachu, Pikapi!" added Pikachu.

Ash chuckled and humbly scratched his cheek. "Ahhhh, don't thank me. Calem and Tierno did their fair share of the work too, not to mention all those other people who joined in."

"Y-Yeah!" Shauna added exuberantly. Before she could stop herself, she ran up to Calem and grabbed his hands, startling him and the others. "You were _awesome_ , Calem! You were one of the first to take that stand!"

"W-We-Well," stuttered Calem, overwhelmed with shock at the praise being heaped upon him by Shauna, "I-I was just f-f-following Ash's lead... D-Do-Don't see how sp-special _I_ was..."

"N-N-No! I-I mean, i-if it weren't for you, Ash probably would've had to handle that fire all by himself! J-Just because he was the first to step up to the plate, it doesn't mean other people were guaranteed to follow! It was only because of your willingness to help out that other people became just as willing!"

At that moment, Shauna realized she was holding onto Calem's hands...a little too tightly for comfort. She squeaked with surprise and let go of him, allowing him to unconsciously rub his hands in stunned confusion and embarrassment.

"A-A-At least th-that's what I think!" she blurted out as an addendum.

"Ohhhhh, my, my..." Miette suddenly said, her eyes glinting mischievously. "Seems like _someone_ has a _cruuuuush_... And for the first time, it's not Serena!"

Shauna glared at her fellow Performer. "C-Cu-Cut it OUT, Miette! That's NOT funny! A-A-And for _your_ information, I don't have a crush!"

"Oh, really? Well, then..." Miette ran up to Calem and hugged his arm. "Maybe I'll just steal him from you, then!"

"Wh-Wha- _What_?!" Calem blubbered helplessly.

"MIETTE!"

But it wasn't Shauna who had spoken. With a face flushed with deep scarlet, Serena charged at Miette, grabbed her, and pried the Performer off of her cousin's arm with all of the force she could muster.

"As if making fun of me and my crush wasn't enough!" the honey-blonde snapped. "Now you're picking on Shauna too?!" She stared deeply into Miette's eyes, and the flames of burning fury raged in her sapphire-blue pupils. "W-Well then, how 'bout this?! When _you_ have a crush on someone, then _I'll_ start making the moves on that unlucky boy! How about that?! Let's see how _you_ react to that, Miette!"

"Wait, crush?" Ash suddenly asked. "You...You have a _crush_ , Serena?"

All of the rage receded from Serena in an instant, and steam started jettisoning out from every orifice in her face. As for Miette, she smirked playfully.

"Whoops!" the blue-haired girl exclaimed. "Looks like the cat's out of the bag!" She then shot Ash a knowing glance. "For the umpteenth time."

However, Blanche, Kazalie, and Shulin shot Ash confused and dissatisfied looks.

"You... _don't_ remember, Ash?" Kazalie asked.

"R-Re-Remember what, Kazalie?" Ash replied innocently.

"Our conversation in the changing booth!"

**_"Hey, uh, speaking of guys and their love of battling, I think I now understand why you're having such a tough time with Ash, Serena."_ **

"Uhhhhhh...s-sorta...?" replied Ash, as memories of himself being locked in a stall with a bikini-wearing Serena returned to his mind.

"Pikapi..." Pikachu groaned while shaking his head in disbelief.

"Jeez," Blanche remarked, her mind boggled by Ash's response. "Miette was right, Serena. No wonder you're having such a hard time with this guy. He's a dork!"

Ash narrowed his eyes. "H-Hey! I'm not a dork!"

"Pika, pikachu!" squeaked Pikachu, this time taking his Trainer's side.

"Says the guy who's _still_ clueless even after all this time," Bonnie said out loud.

"What's _that_ supposed to mean, Bonnie?!"

Meanwhile, Calem approached Serena as she continued to observe the conversation with disbelief.

"So, uh..." he said to her, " _this_ is the guy I'm gonna have to call my cousin-in-law?"

"Apparently..." Serena replied ambiguously.

"Jeez." The dark-haired Trainer watched as Ash continued to converse with Blanche, Kazalie, and Shulin. "Ummmmm, no offense, Serena, and it's not like I don't think Ash is a cool guy and all, but...I feel like you could do better."

Serena gasped and looked at Calem in shock, causing him to hold up his hands as a peace offering.

"Hey, hey, it's just my opinion, cuz! I-I mean, Ash may be nice and all, a-and it's not like he's a bad friend to any of us-" He looked back at Ash. "But seriously, _how_ has he not caught on to your feelings yet?! Even if your future with him is set in stone, his obliviousness alone is gonna muck up that future!"

"Well, Selene would beg to differ," Serena spat back. "Right, Selene?"

...

"Selene?"

...

She looked over her shoulder but didn't see Selene anywhere amongst the group. The honey-blonde felt her heart skip a beat as she looked around frantically.

"Did any of you guys see Selene?" she asked, trying to keep herself calm and composed.

"Huh?" Aria looked around her sides and was stunned by the empty space. "Oh, no! I-I thought she was standing next to me!"

"I thought she was standing next to me too!" Yancy cried with concern.

"P-Pichu?!" Pichu squeaked, stunned by the sudden absence of its unofficial owner. It scurried onto the top of Ash's head, perched itself atop his cap, and looked around in desperation. "PICHU-PI?! PICHU-PIIIII!"

"Selene?!" Serena called, her voice echoing over the sounds of the visitors and tourists milling about. "Selene, where are you?!"

"PIKACHUUUUU!" called Pikachu.

"Oh, no..." Nate said, his eyes darkening. "Hopefully she just wandered off..."

"Come on, guys!" Ash cried determinedly. "Let's go look for her!"

"But _how_?" Nini asked worriedly. "Who knows how long Selene's been missing? She could be anywhere by now, and the Laurier Maison's _huge_!"

"Don't worry about it!" Aria exclaimed, her glasses twinkling from the ceiling lights. "I've got a map of the Maison in my phone! I can share it to all of you who have phones. Do any of you have phones?"

"We do!" cried Blanche, her hand shooting up in the air while Kazalie and Shulin nodded in agreement.

"Same here," Meyer said. He reached into his hand and pulled out an older cellphone.

"Auntie Grace and Uncle Moose have phones too," added Calem.

"HAHAHA!" Clemont cried triumphantly. "All of you may have phones, but it is nothing compared to the ingenuity of new technologies! The future is now, thanks to science!" The inventor boldly, proudly displayed a familiar-looking wristwatch for everyone to see. "The Amazing-"

"Oh no, not that stupid watch again!" Bonnie interrupted with despair. "Clemont, it's not even a _phone_!"

"Nenene!" Dedenne squeaked in disagreement, while Squishy simply squirmed in the girl's arms.

"That's you _think_ , my dear little sister! But the Amazingly Accurate Wristwatch isn't just your ordinary wristwatch! It has a number of other amazing applications as well!"

"Like what? Blowing up in our faces and giving us bad hair-"

"Will you just believe in me _this one time_ , Bonnie?!"

"Clemont," Serena said, her eyes becoming teary with fear, "I appreciate the thought and effort, but we don't have time to test out your invention! Selene's missing, and we gotta find her before something _bad_ happens to her!"

"Okay," remarked a focused, determined Ash as he removed Pichu from his head and held it in his arms. "We gotta move quickly. Since the Laurier Maison's big, we have to split up into groups. That way, we'll be able to cover more ground. At least one person per group needs to have a phone so Aria can send us her map."

"Pikachu!" Pikachu cried in agreement.

"Yeah, tha-that sounds like a good idea, Ash!" Aria replied, all the while eyeing the others nervously to see if any of them had caught on to Ash's accidental slip of her real name. Fortunately, it didn't seem like anyone had caught on.

"So that means the people with the phones should lead their own teams!" Kazalie cried. "So, since I'm the leader of my team, I'll pick the people who'll come with me. Uhhhhh...Tierno, Nini, why don't you two come with me?"

"Sure thing!" Tierno replied with a wide, ear-to-ear grin.

"You got it!" Nini added.

"Sounds like a good idea, Kazalie!" responded Blanche. Then, she looked at Miette and Trevor. "You two, come with me!"

"O-Oh!" Trevor exclaimed, stunned by the attention Blanche placed on him. "S-Su-Sure!"

"Sure, why not?" Miette replied nonchalantly.

"Ohhhh, I think _I_ know who I wanna pick for _my_ team," Shulin said slyly while eyeing Nate. " _Natey_ , why don't _you_ come with me?"

She batted her eyelashes at him, prompting Nate to stutter, "S-Su-Sure, I guess-"

"Th-Then I'm coming too!" Yancy screamed, her voice cracking in the process. "Th-The more in a group, the merrier!"

Shulin pouted disapprovingly at Yancy's intervention, but she didn't verbally protest against it. Meanwhile, Grace stepped forward and handed her phone to Serena.

"M-Mom?" Serena asked, confused.

"You take my phone," the former jockey replied. "I don't need it. Plus, I know who I'm gonna be with."

She eyed Layla and Moose, both of whom nodded at her in understanding. At that moment, Meyer approached Clemont and handed his own phone to him.

"You take my phone too, Clemont," he said. "I'll be accompanying Grace and the others."

"You just don't know when to give up, do you?" Grace grumbled, her eyebrow twitching nastily at the electrician.

Before the conversation could escalate, Aria announced, "Well, since I am the one with the quickest access to the map, I think it's only right that I bring Serena and Ash along with me." She looked at them and smiled. "Don'tcha guys think?"

"You got it, Aria!" Ash replied with a valiant grin.

"Sure, Aria _na_!" Serena added, all the while giving her crush an irritated side-glance.

"Well then," Clemont said, "I, uh, I guess that leaves me with Bonnie, Shauna, and Calem."

"Well," replied Bonnie, "at least we're not using your silly watch."

"Dedenne..." Dedenne squeaked softly in agreement.

The inventor sighed and hung his head. "Bonnie, will you _please_ have a lil' more faith in me and my inventions?"

"Alright, then!" Ash declared. "It's settled! We'll all go our separate ways and search around the Maison for Selene! We'll contact each other for updates every..." He glanced at the nearest clock. "Five minutes."

"Well, what're we waiting for?!" Shauna exclaimed. "Let's go look for Selene!"

"And remember, everyone!" added Aria. "We need to act quickly! The Exhibition Showcase is due to start up again at any moment now!"

"Right!" everyone else chorused.

"Pika!" Pikachu cried.

"Pichu-pi!" Pichu squeaked determinedly.

"Nenene!" Dedenne chirped.

Squishy just chirruped.

* * *

Sid gagged as he, Nick, Floyd, Lloyd, and Cecile watched Ash and Serena's group break off into their assigned teams and fan out across the lobby. Then, he looked back at his teammates, his face etched with worry.

"I didn't expect that," he said.

"Those kids are right," replied Cecile, her brow furrowed. "The Laurier Maison's a pretty big place. But now that they're in smaller groups, they're gonna find Parker much faster."

"Where _did_ Parker go, anyway?" Sid looked around. "I know he said he had to isolate himself and Celebi from that group before they'd notice the girl's absence...but he should've called us by now to tell us where exactly he is."

"Maybe he stopped for a bathroom break," Nick suggested with a shrug.

"Man," Lloyd said to himself. " _I_ could use a bathroom break." He started rubbing his belly. "I think I drank too many soft drinks today..."

Sid face-palmed in disbelief. "Will you two please just _focus_?! Just for _one_ sec! You too, Floyd! Stop admiring those darn Magikarp!"

"Huh?" Floyd tore his eyes away from the Magikarp water tank. "Wh-What?"

"We gotta find a way to give Parker some more time so then he can do whatever he needs to do to that Celebi!" Sid shot a glare at the direction of Ash's and Clemont's groups. "If Parker said he was worried about those kids, then it's gotta be for a good reason! We _need_ to stop 'em before they ruin our second chances at a good future!"

"A good future..." Nick repeated. "Alright, I'll bite. Whaddaya suggest we do, Sid?"

"We do what they did! We split up and go after a group!"

"But Sid," Cecile said, "they have six groups of people, and there's only five of us."

"Plus we can't afford to be arrested," added Floyd.

"Arrested?!" Nick exclaimed, mortified. "I'm too pretty to be in prison!"

"Crud, that's true," Sid muttered. "Well then, I'm at a loss for w-"

"What's this I'm hearing about _prison_?" a new voice hissed.

Sid, Nick, Floyd, Lloyd, and Cecile turned to see Adam Glazing approaching them. His wavy, green-and-golden-streaked hair gleamed from the ceiling lights, and his yellow eyes shone with a menacing aura. Nick, Floyd, and Lloyd immediately recoiled at Adam's scrutinizing gaze, but Sid and Cecile stepped forward.

"We have a bit of a problem, Adam," Cecile said.

"A _problem_?" Adam repeated slowly, the calmness in his voice chilling. "How in Arceus's name d'you five have a _problem_ when you're teamed up with someone that _you_ -" He shot Nick a piercing glare. "Described as a 'cool buff guy'? Speaking of which, where _is_ he?"

"H-H-He has th-the C-Ce-Celebi, Adam," Nick stuttered in response. "B-B-Bu-But th-th-there are s-so-some k-k-kids!"

"Really? Our operation is under jeopardy because of a bunch of kids. _Kids_..." Adam mockingly cleaned out his ear canal. "Am I hearing that right, Nick?"

"Well, they're not just _any_ kids!" Sid cried, stepping in for Nick. "Apparently, Parker knows them pretty well! Says they've been a nuisance to him for Arceus knows how long!"

"Oh, really?" Adam scanned his inferior accomplices one by one, before leaning his head in. "Alright, fill me in on all the details. I'll come up with a plan that'll solve _all_ our problems."

...

"Okay, man," Lloyd said, "but first, I need to go to the bathroom! I drank too much soft drinks!"

"And I need to find that jerk who ripped me off good!" added an outraged Floyd. "The dude left me with a tank of useless Magikarp!"

Adam stared on blankly, while Sid and Cecile just slapped their foreheads in disappointment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that just about does it for this long-awaited chapter! To be honest, I'm glad to be back writing this. I find it to be quite a refreshing change of pace compared to these last couple of months.
> 
> Well, hope you enjoyed this long-awaited chapter! TheCartoonFanatic01 is out. PEACE!


	22. Maison Mayday

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, that's right, everyone. I hereby grace you with another chapter for this Arceus-forsaken fic! Consider it thanks for all the support you guys have given me, and all the joy I observed because of my magnificent return. :D :D :D
> 
> Also, before we begin, I just want to say...I'm feeling REALLY enthusiastic about the DLCs they announced for the Sword and Shield games, particularly "The Crown Tundra". I mean, I'm not buying either of them (I can't afford to spend money on anything Pokémon-related anyway), but if what's been revealed about the DLC so far is what I think it is, then it'll be pretty beneficial for the last few chapters of this fic. It certainly wouldn't be planned, but it'd be a welcome development that I'll be taking advantage of like crazy. This is exactly what I like about "Pokémon"; the franchise constantly gives me troves of new information that I can use for my fanfics. ;)
> 
> And speaking of the Sword and Shield games, I recently posted the first chapter of a two-shot revolving around a pairing no one has probably heard of or expected: Ash/Bea! The fic is called "Training Harder", and it's only one of TWO fics in all of "Pokémon" fanfiction history (as of this writing) to have those two as main characters. It is also the first to specifically revolve around this rare pairing. Go check it out when you can! :D :D :D
> 
> Alright, I'm done foreshadowing stuff that may or may not be ultimately worthless! On with the early chapter. ENJOY!
> 
> P.S.: Due to the ever-worsening situation regarding the coronavirus outbreak, I'm going to have to remind you all about the basic steps you should take if you want to stay healthy, courtesy of my university's reminder emails:
> 
> -Wash hands often with soap and water for 20-30 seconds at a time, and/or use hand sanitizer  
> -Avoid close contact with people who are sick  
> -Keep your hands away from nose, eyes, and mouth (I can't imagine how difficult this part is probably going to be)  
> -Eat well, get adequate rest, and exercise regularly  
> -Get a flu shot if you haven't already and are able to
> 
> And if you ARE sick (I hope you get better if you are), please be a good sport and save other folks the trouble of getting sick. You can do this by:
> 
> -Covering your mouth and nose with your sleeve, elbow, or a tissue whenever you sneeze or cough  
> -Not sharing food and drinks with others  
> -Avoiding touching your mouth, nose, and eyes (Again, I understand this is probably going to be difficult)  
> -Avoiding close contact with others  
> -Cleaning and disinfecting surfaces and objects  
> -Staying at home if you're unwell (PRIORITY NUMBER ONE!)  
> -Staying calm and keeping yourself well-informed (My personal advice)
> 
> If you already know this, then great! If you didn't know any of this beforehand, please keep that information in mind as we all go through this trying time. It's a realm of unknowns at this point, and I wish myself and all of humanity well.

"Come on, everyone, let's move, let's move, let's move! Those stalls aren't gonna clean themselves!"

Foster scowled in disapproval as his direct superior, a stocky, oily-faced, reedy-voiced man, stepped out of the bathroom, leaving him and two others with mops in their hands and buckets nearby. The trio turned around to face the long rows of stalls, marble sinks, and stainless-steel hand-dryer machines. The entire bathroom seemed to be ripped from the pages of a promotional magazine on luxury hotels.

 _"Ah, great,"_ he thought. _"I'm stuck with bathroom cleaning duties. Just my luck."_ With that, he and his colleagues began scrubbing the floors with their mops. _"This Exhibition Showcase had better be worth all this time and effort. If Ar's gonna be the only pull for this event, then..."_

His thoughts suddenly wandered off to the fateful exchange he had with Aria.

_**"...I said I didn't have an answer for you** _ **yet** _**."** _

_"Re-_ Really _...? So...is that girl talk for yes, or for no...?"_

_**"It means I don't know yet."** _

_"So... When_ will _you know...?"_

_**"Hopefully after the Exhibition Showcase."** _

_"Oh. I see..."_

_**"Look, if it's any comfort to you, Foster, it doesn't matter what I will say to you, or what happens leading up to that moment. Know this: you'll** _ **always** _**be my friend. No matter what."** _

Foster took a deep breath and continued scrubbing.

 _"She says she'll have an answer for me after the Exhibition Showcase,"_ he thought. _"And yet, she leaves me hangin' with_ that _statement."_ He pursed his lips with apprehension. _"I have a bad feeling about this..."_

"Yo, Foster," a voice said, pulling Foster from his thoughts. He glanced at one of his colleagues, an older boy with brown hair arranged in a few large dreadlocks.

"What is it, Jaime?" he asked sullenly

"You do the big stall."

This caught Foster's undivided attention. " _What_?! Wh-Why me?!"

"'Cause you're standing closest to it."

Foster looked around and realized Jaime was right. Then, he noticed that Jaime and their other colleague were standing the exact same distance away from the stall. He knew for a fact they had taken advantage of his distraction to conspire against him and drop that unsavory responsibility right on his lap.

Unfortunately, he knew better than to call them out on it and make things a whole lot more difficult for themselves. After all, their salaries were on the line.

"You know you guys can't walk all over me forever," Foster grumbled hatefully.

"Yeah, yeah," Jaime replied, a mocking smirk crawling upon his face. "Get in there and do your thing, farmhand."

He and his compatriot then snickered jeeringly at the insult. Foster could do nothing but shoot them a bitter scowl as he almost kicked the stall door open. With a huff, he entered the stall with his mop in hand and prepared to scrub when-

"WHAT THE?!"

The boy stumbled backward, nearly slipping and falling on the trail of soapy water his mop left behind. A trio consisting of a Hoppip, a Skiploom, and a Jumpluff hovered out of the stall and across the bathroom, startling Jaime and his friend as well. As they passed by, Foster couldn't help but notice the miniature cameras strapped onto their bodies, cameras of a make and model he had never seen before.

"Ahhhh, great!" Jaime snapped, watching as the three Grass/Flying-types hovered out of the bathroom through the open door. "Whose Pokémon are _these_?!"

"I'll get 'em!" Foster cried suddenly, jumping over the soapy water he left behind and pursuing the trio of Pokémon. "You guys take care of the bathroom!"

This caught Jaime's undivided attention. " _What_?! Wh-Why us?!"

Foster was unable to contain his triumphant smirk as he exited the bathroom. "'Cause I was the first to leave! Can't have the boss walking in on an empty bathroom that's still dirty!"

He knew Jaime knew he was right, because only one name echoed through the hallways of the Laurier Maison as he left.

**"FOOOOOSTEEEEERRRRR!"**

* * *

_"It won't be long now."_

Clarice sat on the bench directly outside the Performers' dressing room, glumly looking down at the palms of her hands. She could feel a heavy burden weighing down her heart, accompanied by a wave of dread that was almost overwhelming in power. She hadn't been up onstage since the Exhibition Showcase began, but given her luck, she would be among the first Performers to get the event back on track once the intermission ended.

 _"It won't be long now..."_ she thought again, trying her best to harden her resolve. _"This is it... This is my last chance to show everyone my own worth as a Performer. I have to make up for the reputation I built this past season..."_

**_"Wow, look at that Clarice girl. Every time, she never makes it past the Freestyle Performance. How sad."_ **

**_"That Fletchling girl's not gonna get anywhere in the Showcase biz. Clearly she can't accomplish much with such a small Flying-type."_ **

**_"Dude, who's that girl with the Fletchling? I keep seeing her in Showcases but...she looks so forgettable."_ **

**_"A vaguely familiar Performer with no oomph in their Performances is bound to go nowhere in and out of the stage. Like Clarice, for example."_ **

**_"Let us talk about Clarice, the Performer with the Fletchling. Now, there's a lotta potential in Fletchling as a species tailored for Showcases. If it's done right, one can make a Fletchling shine brighter than the Sun. We have seen that before. But sadly, this season, we haven't seen_ any _of that coming from the likes of Clarice."_**

Clarice clenched her fists around the hem of her shirt. Then, with her lower lip caught between her teeth, she gazed over to her shoulder, where her beloved Fletchling was perched. It was wearing the top hat she worked so painstakingly hard to make for it.

"Fletchling?" the Tiny Robin Pokémon chirped, tilting its head in concern for its Trainer.

Upon seeing Fletchling's face, Clarice relaxed and used her index finger to stroke its chin.

"I'm okay, Fletchling," she said. "It's just...I hope all the hard work we put into this season was worth it..."

The minuscule Flying-type nuzzled its beak up against her fingertip. "Fletchling fletch."

Clarice took a deep breath. "You know, Fletchling, for this past season, we've been nothing but total laughingstock to the Showcase community. Few other Performers have had it worse than us. I...I know we haven't had a good track record..." All of her losses tugged at Clarice's mind. "But we can't let that keep us down, Fletchling. This Showcase is our last...and _best_ opportunity for us to show Kalos who we really are... There will be no official winner for this competition. I'm hoping that'll be the motivation we need to push through and be the underdog of this year's Showcase season."

"Fletchling fletchling." Fletchling hopped closer to Clarice's face. "Fletchling fletch."

Clarice smiled at her Flying-type. "But you know, Fletchling, no matter what happens, I just want to let you know..." Her eyes suddenly became watery. "I just wanted to let you know that I've..." Her voice broke. "I've _always_ loved you! You're not just my Pokémon, but my closest friend! I could've used any other Pokémon for my performances, I could've listened to all those PokéVision reviewers and switched you out for someone else...b-but I kept choosing you because you're my friend, and we promised that we'd win this season together! And I would never, _ever_ break that promise!"

With that, Clarice leaned her head in so her forehead could nuzzle against Fletchling's tiny, feathery one. "So, no matter what happens, know that I have always been proud of what we accomplished together, Fletchling! _Always_! And I'll never, ever doubt you!"

"Fletchling..." Fletchling crooned sympathetically.

Clarice spent a minute sobbing in solitude. Then, once she realized what was happening, she jerked her head away from Fletchling's and wiped her tear-stained face with her forearm.

"I'm-I'm sorry, Fletchling!" Clarice replied. "I-It's just, w-well...it's gonna be our turn sooner or later. M-My nerves are g-getting to me..."

"Fletchling," chirped Fletchling, the Tiny Robin Pokémon nodding its head in understanding.

"I _really_ need to know how to look on the bright side of things, even when things are dark. Like Ash..."

_**"Well, there's always a bright side to everything! Even in losing a battle!"** _

Clarice smiled fondly at the memory of Ash's encouraging words, spoken in the aftermath of her kidnapping and rescue. Then, something in her mind clicked into place, and without warning, she shot up from her seat, startling Fletchling and causing it to start flapping its wings as a precaution.

"I'm gonna go find Ash!" she declared.

"Fletchling?" Fletchling asked.

"Oh, s-so-sorry Fletchling. I-I was hoping I could find him and get some advice on being more positive. I-I mean, I still have a few minutes left till break is over." Then, the dark-haired Performer's lips twitched into a small smile. "Plus...ma-maybe I'll have a chance to confess my feelings for-"

"Fletchling fletch!"

"Hm?"

Clarice looked back at Fletchling and noticed it was staring off into the other direction. She followed her Pokémon's gaze and saw, to her surprise, Ash walking down a perpendicular hallway. Her heart jumped at the sight of him, but a second later, her joy turned into a sour mood when she saw none other than Serena at his side.

"Oh, great," she muttered bitterly. "It's _her_." Then, with clenched fists, she began to march over to the couple. "I-I gotta stop this before it gets any further-"

**_"You...You stood up for me..."_ **

**_"Well...I couldn't let her talk down to you like that. No matter what I feel about you."_ **

Clarice stopped in her tracks upon recalling Serena's own words of support. With a softening expression, she raised her hand and placed it over her heart.

_"But...Serena still saved me from being humiliated by that Amelia girl... Would it be so Performer-like if I repay her for her kindness with more bitterness and hostility? But...she clearly has feelings for Ash as well! I...I can't just let her take Ash away from me, just because I'm feeling thankful for her! AGH! What do I do?!"_

* * *

"Heeeeey, Seleeeeene! Where are you?!"

"Seleeeeene?! _Seleeeeene_! If you can hear me, honey, answer me! _Please!_ "

"PIIIIIKA-PIIIIIKAAAAA!"

"PICHU-PIIIIIIIIII!"

Aria watched with a raised eyebrow as she walked beside Ash and Serena down a red-and-gold hallway. Ash and Serena were calling out for Selene at the top of their lungs, with the worry and desperation particularly evident in Serena's face. Pikachu and Pichu were doing the same, with Pikachu perched atop Ash's shoulder while Pichu was tucked in Ash's arms.

"Wow," the Kalos Queen said, impressed. "You guys sure are worried about Selene."

"Well, of course!" replied Serena, looking a little affronted by Aria's statement. "She's our daugh- I-I mean, my-my little sister! And now, she's all alone in this place! She must be scared out of her _mind_ right now!"

"Ahhh, don't worry, Serena!" Ash said, shooting the honey-blonde a gentle and confident look. "Selene's a brave girl. She knows what to do-"

He was silenced by Serena's terrifying, wrathful look. "Easy for _you_ to say, Ash! You're not her big brother!"

Ash was taken aback. "Whoa, whoa! Okay, Serena, jeez! What's gotten into you?"

"You know what!" Then, before she knew it, she pointed a finger at him. "You were _with_ her, Ash! Why'd you have to take your eyes off her!"

Serena saw a certain light fade in Ash's eyes, but she didn't care. As she continued to stare into those auburn pupils, her mind, hazy with a chaotic mix of anger, frustration, and terror, dug up Calem's words in a sudden impulse.

_**"...S** _ **_eriously,_ how _has he not caught on to your feelings yet?! Even if your future with him is set in stone, his obliviousness alone is gonna muck up that future!"_**

_"Is_ that _what happened?!"_ she thought. _"Was Ash so oblivious about the context of this whole thing that...that he_ erased _Selene out of existence?! No, that can't be possible! I mean, Selene disappeared, but Yancy didn't! There's still hope! But what if Yancy disappears next?! Ohhhhh, I should've gone with her instead! I should've! No wait, Shulin's with her; she'll contact us if something happened to Yancy! But I don't want anything to happen to Yancy! I don't want my children to-to disappear because of Ash's denseness! I gotta do something to stop this! I gotta do something to fix the future! I gotta-"_

"Serena!"

Serena was snapped out of her reverie, and instead of auburn, she was staring into ruby-red.

"Calm _down_!" Aria exclaimed while gently shaking the honey-blonde's shoulders. "You're hyperventilating, Serena!"

"Pika!" Pikachu squeaked in agreement.

"I...I am...?" At that moment, Serena realized she was feeling lightheaded. "Oh... I-I am..."

"Come on, let's sit you down-"

"NO!" Serena tried to march forward. "I gotta find Sel-"

"Selene can wait for just a minute, Serena," Ash interrupted.

He grabbed Serena's left wrist and pulled her in the other direction, causing the Performer to blush. As for Aria, she took Serena's right wrist and helped Ash guide her over to a nearby iron bench. Realizing what was about to happen, Pikachu wisely chose to keep his distance, as did an ambivalent Pichu.

"I understand you're really worried, Serena," Aria said. Then, she began dialing a number on her cellphone. "Don't worry. I'll inform the Laurier Maison staff about her."

"Th-Thank you, Aria..."

As Aria stepped away for some privacy, Ash sat down beside Serena, a concerned look etched on his face.

"Look, Serena," he said, "I _do_ know how important this is. Selene's our..." His voice choked, and he blushed a little. "Our _daughter_."

This remark made Serena blush as well.

"I'm...I'm sorry if I seemed dense as usual. It's just..." Ash cast a glance towards Aria, who had now begun to speak into her phone. "Aria's with us, and she doesn't know Selene's true connection with us. I didn't want her to think something's up, so I just...decided to play a little dumb. Like my normal self."

"O-Oh." It took Serena all of the effort in the world to restrain a sigh of immense relief, while her worries about Calem's words receded from her mind. "S-So..."

"Yeah, I'm worried about Selene too. Really, _really_ worried." The boy looked at the floor, guilt etched across his normally bright, optimistic face. "You're right, Serena. I...I shouldn't have stepped in when that fire broke out. I should've stayed close to Selene, kept an eye on her...like any father would do."

Finally, Serena realized the true magnitude of what she had said. Before she could stop herself, she hugged Ash tightly, drawing a surprised yelp from him.

"Don't say that, Ash!" she wailed, her eyes shut to keep the tears from leaking out. "I'm so sorry I said that! It-It wasn't your fault! It...It was _mine_..."

"Serena-"

"No! Stop doubting yourself, Ash! I'm the one who's to blame! _Me_! I...I should never, _ever_ doubt you whenever you step in to help out! I should've just taken over for you when you had to leave Selene's side-"

"But there were lots of other people around, lots of people with Water-type Pokémon. Any one of them could've done the job for me-"

"But no one takes the initiative like _you_ do, Ash!" Serena broke the hug, clasped his rough palms, and stared directly and unflinchingly into Ash's eyes. "Had you not stepped in, people would've just waited for the fire department to come! And who knows what would've happened if that fire was allowed to burn for any longer?! You stepping in was for the best! As soon as you did, everyone else was inspired to help out, 'cause that's what you do, Ash! Inspire! And that's something no one should ever doubt, _especially_ not me!"

Ash tore away from her grip. "But I shouldn't just leave you to take over the duty of watching Selene! If we're gonna be married and have kids together, th-then we need to be a team! And teammates don't handle individual responsibilities on their own."

This shocked Serena beyond belief. Normally, Ash would've skirted around these topics like the clueless, dense idiot that he was...but the tone of his voice, plus the way he directly addressed the issue... It was not his usual style...

"Ash," she said slowly and breathlessly, "do...do you mean-?"

"Yes, Serena." The look in Ash's eyes was intense and passionate, unlike anything she had ever seen before in that deep, inspiring, breathtaking auburn. "I... I want to-"

He was suddenly cut off by a loud explosion.

* * *

"Didja get the map from Ariana, sweetie?"

"Mm-hm!"

Layla showed Moose, Grace, and Meyer the text message she received as proof. Then, the pregnant woman looked at the screen and clicked on the attached image to enlarge it.

"Hm," Layla remarked, her eyebrows raised. "This is quite a detailed map. Ariana must have good contacts."

"Alright," Grace said, peering over her sister's shoulder. "So, judging by the looks of this, it looks like we're in...the green room."

"Green room?" Moose asked. "What's the green room?"

Meyer gestured around the expansive living room, which boasted furniture, curtains, rugs, and various other decorations that were colored in many shades of green.

"This room," the electrician replied.

"Well, what're we standing around here for?" Grace asked. "Let's look for Selene! Selene?!"

"Selene, sweetie?!" called Layla as she started rummaging around the furniture. "It's Auntie Layla! Holler out if you can hear me!"

"Selene?!" Moose hollered. " _Selene_?!" Then, he sighed heavily. "Aw, jeez. At least this is good practice for when our kids are born, huh?"

"This is _not_ good practice. This is something we're supposed to _avoid_."

"O-Oh, yeah. That too."

"Looking on the bright side of things, huh Moose?" Grace asked irritably. "Even when it's your great-niece at stake?"

"H-Hey! Thinking negatively's not going to speed things up any!"

"Alright, everyone," Meyer piped up as he checked behind a curtain. "Let's just calm down and proceed through the room bit by bit. We're not gonna find Selene at that rate."

"No kiddin', Sherlock," replied Grace. Then, after checking on a sofa, she punched one of the pillows in anger. "GAH! This is hopeless! Let's go to the next room, guys! She's _clearly_ not here!"

"Calm _down_ , Grace! Jeez, you're taking this whole grandmother role seriously-"

"And _why_ should I not?" Then, the jockey scowled at him. "If I remember correctly, she's _your_ granddaughter too."

"Even so, I have faith that she's alright. She seems like a tough kid." Then, Meyer smirked at her. "So...you, uhhhhh, you admit that you and I are gonna be a-"

"I'd rather have a thing going with my Rhyhorn over you, Mr. Electrician. Gosh, how the heck did I even fall for you in the first place?!" With an annoyed huff, Grace marched towards the door. "If and when I see my future self, I am gonna give her a smacking like she wouldn't believe! And _then_ I'm gonna ask her what she saw in-"

She was cut off when the door literally exploded open, sending her flying.

"GRACE!" Layla and Moose screamed in horror.

"I got her!" shouted Meyer. He ran over and caught Grace just in the nick of time.

"OOF!" Grace grunted once she landed in the electrician's muscular arms. She looked up at her savior and found herself blushing in an instant. "Th-Thanks-"

But Meyer was no longer focused on flirting with her. With his gaze focused on the large hole left in the doorway, he put Grace down on the floor and stood in front of her protectively as the smoke from the explosion billowed in.

"Go find a place to hide," he instructed, his voice deep. " _Now_."

"Wh- _What_?" Grace shot up on her feet. "Why?!"

"Because..." Meyer watched as a silhouette started to materialize within the cloud of dark smoke. "It's about to get rough real quick."

At that moment, the smoke blew away, revealing the silhouette to be a Rhyperior who roared loudly and viciously at the electrician. Then, stepping out from behind Rhyperior, a Shiny Krookodile glared hungrily at Layla and Moose, its bladed teeth gleaming.

"Wh-Wh-What do _they_ want?!" Meyer cried.

"I dunno," Grace replied, "but obviously they're bad news."

"Bad news or not," Meyer said while producing a Poké Ball, "they're not gonna get in the way while we search for Selene! Go, Ampharos!"

Meyer threw the Poké Ball, sending out his Light Pokémon. It roared majestically at the two Ground-types, both of which roared back at it powerfully. Grace's eyes broadened in shock at the match-up.

"W-Wait a minute, Meyer!" she cried. "Gr-Ground-types are super-effective against Electric-types! You won't even stand a chance against either of them!"

"Perhaps not." However, the electrician continued to stare the two larger, more powerful Pokémon down. "But we've got nothing else, Grace."

_"Except for perhaps my Blaziken...but...I can't reveal my true ability. Not now..."_

* * *

Yancy looked around worriedly as she followed Nate and Shulin down a dark hallway. They hadn't seen anyone ever since they entered this hall, and the only sounds they could hear were the squeaks and shuffling of what can only be Rattata.

"Where...Where'd you _lead_ us to, Shulin...?" the pink-haired Performer asked.

"According to the map Ariana sent me..." Shulin stared into the screen of her phone, which was the trio's primary source of light in the gloomy, dreary hall. "We're in...the West Wing of the Maison."

"Sounds like something out of a movie Rosa watched when she was younger," replied Nate.

The name caused Shulin to look up. "Who's Rosa?"

"Oh, she's my sister."

"O- _Oh_!" Shulin's pale-blue eyes glimmered with relief. "Th-That's a relief."

"Why?" Nate looked over his shoulder to look at her. "Who'd you think she was?"

"N-Nothing, nothing. S-So, uh..." Shulin picked up the pace so she could walk beside Nate. "Any, uh...anyone in your life that you would call _special_ , Nate?"

"Huh? What do you mean?"

Before Shulin could respond, Yancy forced her way in-between the other two teens. Her face was as pink as her hair, but fortunately, Nate didn't notice because of the darkness and the shining pale-blue light coming from Shulin's phone.

"C-Ca-Can we get outta here?!" she squeaked. "I-I don't think Selene would be here. M-Ma-Maybe w-we should call Aria. Na."

Before Nate could respond, another voice called out tauntingly, "You'll call _nooooo onnnnne_."

Startled, Yancy, Nate, and Shulin looked around, but they could barely see anything beyond a few feet. Instinctively, the three teens huddled closer together. As soon as they did, the hallway was filled with loud, echoing laughter that sounded like a stereotypical ghost, something one would see in a horror-comedy movie or a kids' cartoon about mystery-solving. Nevertheless, Yancy, Nate, and Shulin remained still and tense, unsure what kind of intimidation tactic was at play here.

"P-Pa-Parker?!" Yancy called uneasily. "Is that you?!"

" _Parker_?" the voice replied. "Heh heh heh... I _dunnooooo_ why you'd come to that _concluuuuusion_ , little girlie, but I most certainly am _nooooot_ Parker. _Oooooh_!"

 _"Well, it wouldn't make sense for Parker to use one of his voice modulators,"_ Yancy thought. _"He knows we already know what he sounds like._ _Plus...a ghost voice option like that one does_ not _suit Parker's style._ _So then...who's speaking right now? It doesn't sound like anyone else from the EHS..."_

Meanwhile, Nate called out boldly, "Whoever you are, show yourself and tell us where Selene is!"

"Why would I do _thaaat_ , little boy," replied the strange voice, "when I have the upper _haaaaaaaaaand_? Heh heh heh heh heh... _Ooooooooooh_!"

The laughter and ghostly onomatopoeia rang through the hallway again, prompting Shulin to clutch Nate's sleeve.

"Nate!" the green-haired Performer wheezed. "I'm scared!"

"What do you want?!" Nate called.

"What do I _waaaaaant_?" repeated the voice, the tone particularly condescending even when masked in the awful ghostly accent. "Well, for starters, I want you to _leeeeeave_ Laurier Maison...at _ooooonnnnnccccceeeee_..."

"Le- _Leave_ the Laurier Maison?!" stuttered Shulin. "But we have a-"

"I couldn't care _less_ about your girly Showcases. In the _naaaaaaaaame_ of my father, and _hiiiiiis_ father before, I order you three to leave this place, henceforth! _Nooooow_! _Oooooh_! _Ooooooooooh_!"

By that point, the suspense of disbelief had completely dissipated for Nate and Yancy. The former pressed on, becoming more and more annoyed than anything else.

"Okay, who are you?"

"I am the _ghooooossssst_ of the Laurier _Maisooooon_!"

"The ghost of the Laurier Maison?!" Shulin squeaked in a high-pitched voice. Yancy looked at her disbelievingly, unable to believe her fellow Performer was actually falling for this act, whatever it was.

" _Yeeeeesssss_..." the voice replied. "I have _haaaaaunteeeeed_ this palace for _yeeeeearsssss_! For far too _looooong_ , girls of all kinds have _uuuuused_ this place for their flashy _perfooooormancesssss_! For far too _looooong_ , my _sleeeeeeep_ has been _distuuuuurbed_!"

"W-We're sorry, M-Mr. Ghost!" Shulin stuttered. "W-We were only just trying to have some fun-"

" _Fuuun_?" the voice interrupted. _"Fuuuuunnnnn_? The _ghooooossssst_ of the Laurier _Maisooooon_ does not tolerate _fuuuuun_! _Oooooh_! _Ooooooooooh_! **_Ooooooooooh_**!"

With a roll of his eyes, Nate scanned the dark hallway, trying to make out any silhouettes that stood out. Within seconds, he spotted the faint outline of a stout, heavyset person standing a few feet away from his group, shuffling and twitching. He appeared to be partially obscured behind something.

" _Okaaaaaay_ ," Nate said. He took a couple of steps forward towards the silhouette, and when it didn't react, he continued onward, accompanied by Yancy and Shulin. "How long exactly have you been haunting this place?"

"Oh. O-Oh, uhhhhh...e-ever since it was first _buuuuuilt_! _Ooooooooooh_!"

"Okay," Yancy replied. "And what year was this place built?"

...

"A _looooonnnnng_ , _loooooooooonnnnnnnnnng_ time ago! _Ooooooooooh_!"

"Yes, but what year?"

...

...

...

"I _duuunnooooo_ ; it's been _sooooo looooonnnnng_!"

"Come _on_ , you guys!" Shulin pleaded while tugging at Nate's sleeve. "We shouldn't anger the ghost-"

"It's not a ghost, Shulin," Nate interrupted, his eyes still trained on the apparently unaware silhouette.

"Wh-Wh- _What_?!" the voice stuttered. "I-I mean... _Oooooooooohhhhh_! How _daaaaare_ you _denyyyyy_ my exist-"

"We know you're a regular, alive person," Yancy cut off.

"H-Ho- _Hooooow_ c-can you _teeeeell_?"

"We can see you over there right now."

...

...

...

...

...

"You _daaaaare_ you _denyyyyy_ me, the _ghooooossssst_ of the Laurier _Maisooooon_!"

Nate threw a Poké Ball. "Chandelure, come on out and give us a light!"

There was a quick but bright flash of light that temporarily illuminated the dark hallway. Once it subsided, a Chandelure hovered in midair, using its purple, candle-like flames to shine a light upon the silhouette. Indeed, it wasn't a ghost, but rather a man, a small, rotund man with small, tufted orange hair and wearing a poorly-made mime costume.

"Okay, who are you?!" Nate demanded while Shulin gasped in surprise. "And why're you fooling around with us?!"

Nick Nigaud looked around frantically, as if he was expecting someone else beside him to give him orders. However, once he realized he was alone, he produced a Poké Ball and threw it.

"HAWLUCHA, MY BABY!" he cried in desperation. "USE HIGH JUMP KICK, Q-QUICKLY!"

The Wrestling Pokémon emerged from its own Poké Ball, made a comical fighting stance, and then leaped towards Nate, Yancy, Shulin, and Chandelure, one of its legs glowing white...

* * *

"I got the map from Ariana!" Kazalie exclaimed while lowering her cellphone.

"Terrific!" Nini replied. "Let's keep looking!"

"And quickly too! The Exhibition Showcase will be starting pretty soon!"

With that, Kazalie started scurrying down the empty hall, with Tierno and Nini trailing behind her. The two walked side-by-side, and with Kazalie a considerable distance away, they decided to have a chat.

"Y-You know," Tierno said, a pink tinge on his cheeks, "I, uh...I haven't met you before this Showcase. H-How long have you known Serena?"

"Oh, only a few months," replied Nini. "We met while she was training her Fennekin and Pancham for her first Showcase. But we hit it off instantly."

"Ah, I see."

Nini eyed him curiously. "How about you? How long have _you_ known Serena?"

"Not too long either. We met at Professor Sycamore's Pokémon Summer Camp." Tierno's blush suddenly intensified. "She was, uhhhhh...quite a spectacle...e-even if sh-she was unsure of herself at the time..."

"I see..." Nini blinked slowly. "You have a crush on her, don't you?"

Tierno's face became as red as a Tamato Berry, and steam might've as well been jettisoning out from his nostrils. In that moment, he sympathized with Serena's dilemma whenever others teased her about her crush on Ash.

"Wh-Wh-What are you t-ta-talking a-about, N-N-Nini?!"

" _Relax_ , Tierno. I'm not Miette. It's alright."

"O-Oh." Tierno's body deflated with relief before he nervously scratched his cheek. "W-Well...y-ye-yeah... I-I mean, who _wouldn't_ have a crush on her?"

"Maybe except for Ash. I mean, he's got battling on the mind and nothing else." Nini stared on ahead. "Maybe that's why the two of them were destined to be together. Serena's so popular amongst the Showcase fan community, but...the only one worthy of her is someone who appreciates her beyond the Showcase world."

Her explanation was met with silence. She looked across her shoulder and saw Tierno looking down at the carpeted floor, a morose look occupying his face. Nini covered her mouth, having just realized what she said.

"O-Oh, I-I'm sorry, Tierno!" she exclaimed. "I-I didn't mean to-"

"No, it's okay..." Tierno replied glumly. "It's...It's not like she would've given me a chance, anyway..."

"Maybe so, but you shouldn't let that eat you up! Half of the world population are girls. Odds are at least _one_ girl's bound to like you back."

Tierno sighed longingly. "Yeah, but...I can't imagine any of them would be as wonderful as Serena..."

Before Nini could respond, their eardrums were filled with a loud, earsplitting scream. They looked ahead and saw, much to their horror, Kazalie being pursued by a Zangoose. It was grinning maniacally while aggressively slashing at the air, its claws glowing white with energy.

"AGH!" Kazalie shrieked. "HELP ME! HELP ME, YOU GUYS!"

Nini wasted no time in taking out a Poké Ball and throwing it. "Come on out, Smoochum!" she called out.

Tierno's thoughts of Serena vanished in an instant as he followed Nini's lead. "You too, Blastoise!" he cried. "Help Kazalie out!"

The two Pokémon emerged from their Poké Balls, allowing Kazalie to take shelter behind the larger Blastoise. Zangoose stopped in its tracks and stared both Pokémon down, its teeth gritted as it sought to find a vulnerability in their defenses that it could exploit.

"Who's that Pokémon?" Nini asked.

"Zangoose," Tierno muttered in response.

" _Zangoose_? I remember him from my Freestyle Performance..."

"HAHAHAHAHA!" another voice cackled. "Excellent work, Zangoose, _excellent_!"

Tierno, Nini, and Kazalie watched as someone else stepped out from behind an open doorway and joined Zangoose's side with a skip in his step. He was dressed in a poorly-made mime costume and had long blue hair that obscured one side of his face.

"Wh-Who're _you_?!" Kazalie squeaked.

"Who am I?!" the man replied, his voice brimming with an exaggeratedly pompous tone. "Why, my lovely dear, I am the magnificent Floyd...and I am here to stop you from finding that little girl and her precious Pokémon!"

With that, Floyd pointed at Blastoise and Smoochum.

"Now, Zangoose! Use X-Scissor on those worthless Pokémon!"

Zangoose let out a roar as it launched itself at Tierno and Nini's Pokémon, its arms glowing white and ready to attack...

* * *

"Looks like we're back here..."

Miette looked around the food court, scanning the crowds for any familiar faces. At the corner of his eye, he could see a small group of police officers taping off the restaurant kitchen where the earlier fire broke out. At the same time, Trevor and Blanche were looking into the latter's cellphone.

"Okay," Blanche said. "So...according to Ariana's map, there's an upper floor that we can go up to. The nearest staircase is near the nearest set of bathrooms to the right."

"D'you really think Selene would've gone up there?" Trevor asked with an arched eyebrow. "Even if she's lost, I honestly can't imagine her wandering off _too_ far."

"Well, she's obviously not around here," replied Miette. "And no one's called in to tell us they found her. We might as well make sure all of the corners our checked."

"I guess it's settled, then!" Blanche exclaimed joyously. "We'll be going up the second floor!" She turned around, only to nearly bump into someone. "Oh, oops! Sorry about that!"

"How _rude_!" the person snapped haughtily.

At that moment, Miette recognized this person as Jessilee, but she didn't have the time to greet her fellow Performer, for Trevor and Blanche were already wandering off into the crowd. The blue-haired Performer followed behind them and was quickly able to rejoin their sides. All the while, she ignored Jessilee's irritated shouting and the unsuccessful attempts by her companions to calm her down.

"Okay, so..." Miette said, "where'd you say we were gonna be able to go up to the second floor?"

"A staircase near the first set of bathrooms ahead," replied Blanche.

"Ah, okay."

Then, after making sure Trevor wasn't listening in, Blanche leaned her head sideways, towards Miette.

"Hey, uh, Miette?"

"Yes, Blanche?"

"I've got a question I wanted to ask you."

"Question?" Miette raised an eyebrow, but nevertheless, she coolly replied, "By all means, fire away."

"Why do you keep teasing Serena about her crush?"

Miette's pace slowed down. "Oh... Wh-Why do you ask?"

"Well, I mean...it's clear Serena doesn't like it. And while I love a good romance as much as the next girl, I don't think it is really... _befitting_ of a good Performer to keep poking at others' emotions like that. Not to mention pretending to steal a guy away from another girl."

Miette crossed her arms and frowned. "Hey, I'm not poking at Serena's emotions! Nor am I trying to steal Ash away from her!"

Blanche blinked slowly. "Really now?"

"Yeah!" Then, the blue-haired Performer sighed and cleared her throat. "Look here, Serena's crush on Ash is as clear as daylight! But it's clear she's not gonna get anything out of Ash by being subtle! You've only known the guy for less than a day, right?"

"Yes, that's right, but-"

"Well, if you'd known Ash longer than that," Miette interrupted, "then you'd know it'd take a whole herd of Rampardos to break open that thick, dense skull of his!"

"O-Oh." Blanche sweat-dropped. "It's that bad, huh?"

"Of course! It's so frigging _frustrating_ to see his denseness in action! So, if Serena's gonna win his heart, then she needs to speed things up a little! That's why I try to push her buttons every time we meet. That way, she'll have the motivation she needs to be more upfront about her feelings with Ash."

"Ahhhhh... Okay, I see what you're trying to get at."

Miette proudly stuck her chin upward. "Thank you, Blanche."

"But...still..." Blanche stared ahead, just as the trio reached the stairwell she found on the map and began walking up it. "Don't you think you're taking things a _little_ too far?"

Miette looked at her. "What're you talking about?"

" _Clearly_ Serena's uncomfortable with all your teasing and prodding. I mean, _I_ would be. After all, love's a sensitive topic for everyone. How would _you_ feel if you had a crush on someone and Serena started teasing you about it? In fact, what if she makes good on that threat of hers the moment she learns about whatever crush you have? Then what, Miette?"

**_"W-Well then, how 'bout this?! When_ you _have a crush on someone, then_ I'll _start making the moves on that unlucky boy! How about that?! Let's see how_ you _react to that, Miette!"_**

"Honestly..." Miette replied, "I...I haven't really-"

"Hey, guys," Trevor interrupted, stepping in-between the two girls. "Be inconspicuous."

"Uhhhhh..." Miette slowly looked at Trevor with an annoyed look. " _What_?"

"I think we're being followed."

" _Wha_ -?!" Blanche began.

She prepared to look over her shoulder, but she was stunned when Trevor immediately wrapped his left arm around her midsection and pulled her in close. He did the same with Miette, using his right arm.

"Laugh, you two," he whispered. "Laugh like I just made a joke."

Miette couldn't follow what was going on, but nevertheless, she followed Trevor's instructions and released a lighthearted laugh. Blanche did the same, all the while feeling a little uncomfortable at being in this position with Trevor.

"So," Miette whispered once she stopped laughing, "what do we do?"

Trevor paused to look up at the top of the stairwell. There didn't appear to be any people present on the second floor. So, he discreetly looked at them and gave them a confident smile.

"Okay, so here's what we're gonna do..."

* * *

Unbeknownst to the trio, the still-disguised Jessie, James, and Meowth were following them up the staircase as well. An angered look was blazing on Jessie's face, while James and Meowth were frightened by their teammate's demeanor.

"J-Je-Jess," James said, "y-you should let it go."

"And why should I?!" Jessie snapped, stopping for a moment to look back at James.

"Sh-She already said she was sorry-"

"But that snobby lil' twerpette did not even take the _time_ to acknowledge my presence! She didn't even _know_ who I am! I am Jessilee, the greatest and most magnificent Performer to grace the stage in centuries, and yet she didn't even utter a decibel of recognition! For that, she must pay!"

There was a familiar-sounding pop, followed by a "WOOOOOBBUFFET!"

She continued marching up the staircase, followed by her Wobbuffet. A terrified James and an incredulous Meowth were left behind in their wake.

"Sh-Sh-She's _definitely_ t-taken things a _little_ too far," James whispered hesitantly.

"Ya got dat right!" Meowth replied. "Jess has her mind wrapped around dem Showcases! Maybe a little too much." Then, the disguised Scratch Cat Pokémon shrugged dismissively. "Eh, well. At least Team Rocket's finally got der time ta shine in dis story!"

James looked down at his compatriot with an arched eyebrow. "Wha...?"

Meowth looked up at him. "Ya know! Da story!"

...

"Y- _Yeah_..." James blinked with confusion. "Th-The _story_..."

"...Ya know what I'm talkin' about, right James?"

...

...

...

"Yeah!" James replied quickly. "Okay, I'm gonna keep going now..."

With that, the blue-haired man started following Jessie again. Unconvinced, Meowth trailed after his heels.

"Ya _do_ know what I'm talking' about, right James?! Da _story_!"

* * *

"Chandelure, intercept with Shadow Ball!" Nate commanded.

A black-and-purple sphere of dark energy formed in front of Chandelure's face. With a ghostly yell, it fired the sphere at the incoming Hawlucha, striking it in the leg and sending the Wrestling Pokémon flying backward.

"AGH!" Nick squealed in terror. "Hawlucha! Are you alright?!"

Hawlucha landed in front of its Trainer with a grunt. It winced from the attack, but nevertheless, it nodded loyally.

"You've got one last chance!" Yancy snapped. "Who are you?! And what do you want from us?!"

Nick sneered at the trio. "Well, that's for you to know and me to find out!" Then, his triumphant face faltered. "Wait, that doesn't sound right-"

"Come on out, Flo! Use Grass Knot on them both!"

Yancy had produced a Poké Ball and thrown it. Once the Garden Pokémon emerged, her normally tranquil eyes glowed a light shade of green. Two vines burst out from the ground and restrained Nick and Hawlucha before either of them could react. Nick yelped like a pained puppy and began struggling almost immediately, whereupon Flo's eyes turned a slightly darker shade of green, causing the vines to tighten their hold.

"NO!" Nick squealed. "Pl-Pl-Please don't hurt me! I have a family, I beg you!"

"So do I," Yancy snarled. "And my sister's missing. So you're gonna tell me what exactly you're after, or I'm gonna make sure you suffer."

Nick's beady pupils flitted towards Flo, who was wearing a fierce look on her face as her eyes continued to glow brightly. Then, he looked at Nate and his Chandelure as the latter hovered closer to his face, its yellow eyes narrowed. Finally, he glanced at Shulin, whose terror from earlier had subsided and was now replaced with intrigue.

"Last chance," warned Yancy.

"Alright, alright, _alright_!" Nick squeaked. "I give, I _give_! O-Okay, m-my name's Nick, a-and I _am_ working for-"

He was suddenly cut off by a barrage of Bullet Seeds that pelted the dark hallway. Nate, Yancy, and Shulin screamed as Chandelure retaliated with a barrage of Shadow Balls, firing blindly into the darkness from which the Bullet Seeds were originating. Meanwhile, the distracted Flo deactivated her Grass Knot to defend her Trainer, giving Nick and Hawlucha the opportunity to take shelter behind a column. However, their escape didn't go unnoticed.

"HEY!" Nate called out. "GET BACK HERE! CHANDELURE!"

Chandelure ceased its attacks and shifted its attention back to Nick and Hawlucha. But before it could fire, an Energy Ball appeared out of nowhere and struck the Luring Pokémon, stunning it for a moment. At the same time, a Hoppip hovered down to Nick's eye level, a high-tech device strapped to its body.

_**"You're an idiot. Then again, I didn't expect anything less."** _

The voice echoed ominously throughout the hallway, prompting the wave of Bullet Seeds to stop. Nate and Yancy turned their heads, their eardrums registering the familiarity of the voice.

" _Parker_?!" they cried.

" _Parker_?" Shulin repeated in confusion.

 _ **"Yes, me."**_ The Hoppip turned to face Nate and Yancy. _**"As this amoeba-brained imbecile was saying-"**_

" _Hey_!" an affronted Nick cried.

_**"He's working for** _ **me _. He was_ supposed _to stay back and lay low, but I guess that's what you get when you are forced to rely on idiots to assist you. Fortunately, I anticipated this, hence my little, ehhh..._ intervention _. You should be lucky I stepped in for you, Nick. Your usefulness has yet to expire."_**

With that, a horde of Hoppip, Skiploom, and Jumpluff appeared, with some of them having miniature flashlights strapped to their bodies. The Cottonweed Pokémon surrounded Nate, Yancy, Shulin, Chandelure, and Flo, their faces wearing looks that were uncharacteristically vicious.

"H-Ho- _Hoppip_?!" stuttered Shulin, spinning around to examine all of the Cottonweed Pokémon. "Sk-Ski- _Skiploom_?! J-Ju- _Jumpluff_?! Wh-What is this?!"

But Nate and Yancy ignored the other Performer. Instead, they stared down the Hoppip with the advanced, loudspeaker-like device.

"So _you're_ the one behind all of this!" Nate shouted. "Where's Selene?!"

 _ **"She's safe,"**_ Parker replied. _**"For now. As is Celebi."**_

Yancy marched forward. "If you hurt her, Parker, I swear to Arceus-"

"Yancy, wait!" Nate cried, grabbing his friend's wrist and stopping her from moving.

_**"Heh heh heh heh heh. You're quite courageous today. A bit of a far cry from the girl who's always relied on good old Nate Gray to save the day. But I suppose that's what happens when your precious little sister is in danger. I'd find it admirable...if I didn't have a stronger urge to** _ **vomit** _**."** _

"Give Selene back right now, Parker!" Yancy screamed. "Or you're going to be sorry!"

_**"Unfortunately, it seems like your brains have not caught up with your courage. You see...you forget what is at stake here."** _

Yancy heard a terrified squeak. She looked over her shoulder and saw, to her horror, a few of the Hoppip, Skiploom, and Jumpluff descending upon Shulin, closing in on her with evil grins.

"Let her go, Parker!" Nate cried. "She's got nothing to do with any of this!"

_**"Nothing to do with this, you say, Gray? Then tell me, why'd my scouts record her following you two on her own volition, without either of you doing a thing to stop her?"** _

Nate and Yancy's skins paled.

_**"I'd say she has** _ **everything** _**to do with this. So, if you want your precious friend to continue on with her silly lil' dancing competition, I'd say...stay right where you are and do not resist. Be fortunate that I cannot leave this accursed timeline just yet. I have one last task to attend to-** _ **Hey** _**!"** _

Suddenly, Nate and Yancy heard a cacophony of yelling and attacks being used through the loudspeaker. Before either of them could ascertain what happened, the ceiling exploded and collapsed a couple of yards away. The Hoppip, Skiploom, and Jumpluff scattered in all directions, allowing Shulin to run over to Nate and hug him from behind. Meanwhile, Yancy stared at the billowing cloud of smoke and was able to make out the silhouettes of an Ampharos fighting a Rhyperior and a Krookodile...

* * *

"MEYER!" Grace screamed.

Without hesitating, the former jockey ran into the thick cloud of smoke, only to notice Meyer, Ampharos, Rhyperior, and Krookodile were no longer there. In their place was a wide, gaping hole in the floor, created by Krookodile's earlier Rock Tomb.

"MEYER! MEYER, ARE YOU ALRIGHT?!"

She didn't hear a response from the electrician. At the same time, the smoke started to fill her lungs, and her eyes both started to water and sting. Coughing, Grace lifted her shirt collar and used it to cover up her nose and mouth, while she used her free hand to procure a Poké Ball.

"Go, Fletchling!" she called out in a muffled voice.

The Tiny Robin Pokémon emerged from the device and chirped loudly. Then, it encircled the cloud of smoke as it began to dissipate.

"Fletchling!" Grace cried. "Go check if Meyer's alright!"

"Fletch!" chirped Fletchling.

But before it could swoop down into the hole, another voice called out, "Oh no, you don't!"

An Electro Ball appeared out of the doorway and hurtled towards Fletchling. The Tiny Robin Pokémon tweeted rapidly in shock and flew out of the way of the Electric-type attack, causing it to hit a far corner of the green room and explode.

"What the?!" Grace started fanning the air around her in an attempt to clear the smoke. "Who did that?!"

"The person who's gonna stop you," a woman's voice replied. "Now, Litwick! Use Ember!"

A series of purple embers came flying through the smoke and at Fletchling's direction.

"Dodge, Fletchling!" Grace cried.

The Tiny Robin Pokémon obeyed and outmaneuvered the weak flurry of embers. A split-second later, another Electro Ball appeared, this time striking its target head-on and electrocuting it.

"FLEEEEETCCCCCHHHHH!"

"NO, FLETCHLING!" Grace screamed. She ran and caught the plummeting Flying-type in her arms. As she did, she heard the same unknown woman snickering.

"How disappointing," the voice said. "You struck me as a tough opponent. But all you have is a cute little Fletchling? How sad. How sad, indeed."

Grace looked at the doorway and watched as the smoke finally cleared, revealing her opponents. A Joltik was skittering across the wall, getting a good vantage point of the jockey and her Fletchling. Meanwhile, a Litwick was hopping through the doorway and towards her.

"I wondered if I made a mistake keeping my strongest Pokémon occupied with that hunk and his Ampharos," continued the voice. "But now, it looks like I have nothing to be worried about. After all, I'm about to give you and your pretty little Fletchy a lesson on pain-"

"I don't think so!"

Grace watched as Moose and a wincing Layla threw Poké Balls of their own into the air, summoning a Magnemite and an Aromatisse, respectively. The Magnet Pokémon released a menacing, electronic hum as it stared down Joltik and Litwick, while Aromatisse did a dainty little spin first.

" _Layle_?!" the former Rhyhorn Racer cried. " _Moose_?! I didn't know you had Pokémon with you!"

"These were lent it to us a couple days before we left for Kalos!" Moose explained before his eyes gravitated towards his wife's Pokémon. "Though I didn't know Rosebay gave you an _Aromatisse_ of all things..."

"She said Aromatisse can emit sweet scents that would be good for calming the kids down," replied Layla as she grazed her hand over her bulging belly. "Or us." Her expression turned a little bashful. "It was gonna be a surprise, Moose, but I guess the Glameow's out of the bag now." Then, she glanced at Grace. "Now's your chance, sis! You go check on Meyer! We'll handle these two!"

"You're sadly mistaken if you think your little Magnemite and your cute Aromatisse are a match against me," the woman called. "Litwick, use Fire Spin! Joltik, Electro Ball!"

Joltik fired a sphere of electric energy from its mouth, while Litwick released a spiral of bluish-purple flames from its own mouth. Moose pointed at the incoming Electro Ball, while Layla pointed at the approaching Fire Spin.

"Magnemite, use Thunder Shock!"

"Aromatisse, use Disarming Voice!"

Magnemite immediately released a lightning bolt from its metallic body. The electricity hit Joltik's Electro Ball, causing it to explode prematurely. As for Aromatisse, it opened its mouth and released a beam of pinkish-purple hearts that sliced through the Fire Spin and struck Litwick.

"NO, LITWICK!" the woman screamed. "JOLTIK, GET ON IT! MAKE THAT STINKIN' AROMATISSE FEEL THE BURN!"

"Not so fast!" Moose cried. "Magnemite, use Flash Cannon!"

Once the Magnet Pokémon fired a silver beam of light and hit Joltik, Grace used the opportunity to look into the hole. As soon as she saw a downward slope of debris, she looked down at her Fletchling, who nodded at her determinedly despite its injuries. The former jockey smiled and nodded back at her Tiny Robin Pokémon.

"Well, Fletchling?" she said. "Go for broke?"

"Fletch," Fletchling chirped in agreement.

Without a second thought, Grace jumped onto the slope and began sliding down into the hole. As she did, she heard an annoyed yell, followed by someone else doing the same thing right behind her. However, she didn't have enough time to think about it, for she quickly reached the bottom of the hole...

And saw Yancy battling Krookodile, along with a horde of Hoppip, Skiploom, and Jumpluff, with all of her strength.

"GRANDMA?!" the pink-haired girl shrieked upon noticing Grace.

* * *

"Alright, now where'd those little troublemakers go...?"

Lloyd looked around the empty hallway, utterly confused as to what had just happened. A few seconds ago, he had been following three of the Trainers who were planning to be trouble for Parker. He had them well within his sight, but as soon as he turned around a corner, they were gone. This was why he always hated playing hide-and-seek with Floyd and Nick when he was younger. He never was good at seeking.

"Darn," he muttered. "Maybe I should have picked a different group." Then, he heaved out a disappointed sigh. "Adam's gonna blast me to smithereens if he finds out I lost the kids." At that moment, a clever grin crawled onto his lips. "That's _if_ he finds out. Hee hee hee, yes, yes, 'if' is good."

With that, he began waltzing in the direction from which he came. As he did, he reached into his pockets.

"La la la, I think I'll go get another soft drink with my special coupon! I'll-"

"Charizard!" a voice commanded. "Go!"

Lloyd looked over his shoulder. "Say what now- AGH!"

A Charizard landed right behind him and roared directly into his face. Lloyd tried to run, but he was quickly cornered by a Slurpuff and a pair of Meowstic, one male and the other female. Slurpuff was frowning furiously at him, while both of the Meowstic were using Psychic to aim a table and a chair at him.

"Don't even think about running, mister!" the same voice snapped.

Lloyd slowly turned around and saw Trevor, Miette, and Blanche approaching him determinedly. Charizard stepped aside for its Trainer so he could confront the red-haired man.

"Alright," Trevor snarled. "Why're you following us?!"

"Do you have anything to do with Selene's disappearance?!" cried Miette. "Do you know anything about it?!"

"And most of all," Blanche said, " _who_ are you?!"

"Who am I?" At first, Lloyd was perplexed, but then, he lowered his face. " _Who_ am I? Who am I, you ask?"

"Y-Yeah..." Trevor replied hesitantly. "Th-That _is_ what she just asked-"

Lloyd's face shot up, revealing a dramatic expression. "Then you should prepare for trouble! On second thought, make it double!"

"To protect the world from devastation?" a voice asked.

"To unite all people within our nation?" another voice queried.

Trevor, Miette, and Blanche looked further down the hall and saw Jessilee and her two companions standing there. They were rather befuddled for some reason, as if Lloyd's strange, abrupt declaration had triggered something within them.

"A name most enjoyed!" Lloyd continued. " _Lloyd_!" He reached into his pocket and pulled out a Poké Ball. "My Pokémon's faster than light! Surrender now or prepare to fight!"

"Meowth! Dat's right!"

Everyone turned their heads towards Jessilee's group at the sound of the voice. The Performer's smaller companion, who conveniently resembled a Meowth, had struck an awkward-looking pose. Trevor, Miette, and Blanche sweat-dropped.

"Uhhhhh...what was _that_ all about...?" asked Miette.

"I'll tell you what this is all about!" Jessilee snapped furiously. "COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT!"

"Copyright infringement?" Blanche asked, tilting her head slightly. "What're you talking about, Jessilee...?"

"I'm talking about that horrible, disgraceful man stealing our precious motto!"

Jessilee pointed an accusing finger at Lloyd, only for everyone to realize he had taken advantage of this distraction to get himself away from Trevor's group. Before Trevor's Charizard had a chance to react, he threw his Poké Ball, which opened up and unleashed a beam of light.

"Go, Tyrantrum!" he called.

When the flash of light subsided, the Despot Pokémon shook its head and roared at Charizard, so loudly that it caused all of the glass objects within the immediate vicinity to crack and shatter. Trevor, Miette, Blanche, Jessilee, and her strange companions screamed and covered their ears, while an undaunted Charizard roared back at Tyrantrum in response.

" **WHOO**!" Lloyd cried. "WE GOT A LIVE ONE HERE! TAKE CARE OF HIM, TYRANTRUM! WE CAN'T AFFORD TO LET THESE KIDS TAKE ANOTHER STEP!"

Tyrantrum stomped towards Charizard, its booming footsteps shaking everything in the hall. Trevor quickly straightened himself and pointed at the approaching Despot Pokémon.

"Charizard, use Heat Wave!"

The Flame Pokémon opened its mouth, and a red-orange ball of sweltering fire appeared between its gaping jaws. Then, once Tyrantrum got close, Charizard fired a gust of heat and flames from this ball. The gust blew powerfully against the Despot Pokémon, pelting it with small flames.

Tyrantrum let out a small, surprised yelp and stumbled back from the energy of the wind. However, it quickly recovered and absorbed the flames without any problem. Then, it began advancing on Charizard as it continued to use Heat Wave on it.

"What?!" Miette exclaimed. "Why isn't Tyrantrum going down from that Heat Wave?!"

"It's because Tyrantrum's part-Rock," replied Trevor. However, he was wearing a crafty grin. "Fortunately, the Heat Wave is just a little distraction."

"Say what now?" Lloyd asked, having overheard the novice photographer's revelation.

Trevor pointed at Tyrantrum again. "NOW, CHARIZARD! USE DRAGON TAIL!"

"SAY WHAT NOW?!"

Charizard let out a triumphant roar, just as a light-blue glow appeared on the tip of its tail and began spreading upward. Once the entire tail was glowing, the Flame Pokémon spun around, striking Tyrantrum hard with said tail. The force and power of the attack was so great that Tyrantrum was sent flying through a wall...

Revealing a battle already going on between Tierno's group and a man who resembled Lloyd in every way, except for his hair, which was mirrored and colored blue.

"Tierno!" Trevor cried with surprise.

"Trevor?!" exclaimed Tierno from the other side of the wall.

* * *

Tierno didn't know what had just happened. He had ordered his Blastoise to defend Nini's Smoochum from Zangoose's X-Scissor, which it was prepared to do. But just as Zangoose was inches away from dealing the blow, the wall beside them had exploded, a Tyrantrum had been sent hurtling through the hole, and Zangoose had now found itself right underneath the Despot Pokémon's backside.

And now Tierno saw Trevor's group standing in the hallway on the other side of that wall, along with a few people who he didn't recognize, including a man whose appearance closely matched Floyd's.

"Tierno!" Trevor cried with surprise from the other side of the wall.

"Trevor?!" exclaimed Tierno. "What're you doing over there?!"

"What're _you_ doing over there?!"

"It doesn't matter!" Kazalie shouted, pointing over Tierno's shoulder. "Heads up!"

Tyrantrum had just stood back up and was now charging at Blastoise and Smoochum.

"Smoochum!" Nini cried, reacting quicker. "Use Heart Stamp!"

Her Smoochum puckered her lips and blew a kiss at Tyrantrum's direction. Almost simultaneously, a pink, heart-shaped stamp materialized over her lips and was sent flying towards the Despot Pokémon.

"Zangoose!" Floyd called. "Use X-Scissor on that Heart Stamp, quickly!"

The Cat Ferret Pokémon landed between Tyrantrum and Smoochum's Heart Stamp before slashing at the incoming attack with a glowing arm. At first, the Heart Stamp continued zooming towards Zangoose, but before it could hit its target, the Psychic-type attack broke into two pieces that missed Zangoose and Tyrantrum completely before dissipating into wisps of pink energy.

"Floyd!" Lloyd cried with surprise from the other side of the wall.

"Lloyd?!" exclaimed Floyd. "What're you doing over there?!"

"What're _you_ doing over there?!"

"Floyd _and_ Lloyd," Kazalie remarked from the side. "Wow. Such original names for twins."

"It doesn't matter!" Lloyd shouted, pointing towards the Performer. "Tyrantrum, use Crunch!"

"Zangoose, use Quick Attack!" ordered Floyd.

Both Pokémon charged towards Kazalie, with Tyrantrum's fangs glowing a bright white, while Zangoose moved at greater speeds and left behind a trail of silver-white energy in the process. Kazalie screamed and braced herself.

"Charizard!" Trevor shouted. "Use Dragon Claw!"

"Slurpuff, use Fairy Wind!" commanded Miette.

Charizard launched itself at Tyrantrum and slashed it with its claws, which were glowing light-green. As for Slurpuff, her body spun around rapidly, creating tornado-like gusts of sparkling wind that targeted Zangoose. However, the attack was too weak to knock Zangoose, and instead, the Cat Ferret Pokémon ceased its assault and focused on Trevor's group.

"Now _that_ was useless," Floyd said with a smirk. "Now, Zangoose! Let's finish this!"

"You too, Tyrantrum!" cried Lloyd. "Don't let that overrated Charizard take you down! I still have a coupon to spend!"

Tyrantrum continued to focus its efforts on Charizard, with both draconic Pokémon now locked in hand-to-hand combat. As for Zangoose, it charged at Slurpuff, preparing to use X-Scissor on her.

"Meowstic!" Blanche called. "Both of you use Psychic!"

Her two Meowstic began glowing, whereupon Zangoose froze in midair. Then, the Constraint Pokémon lifted their shared opponent in the air and slammed it into Tyrantrum, knocking both of them down.

"Alright!" Tierno cried. "Now, Blastoise! Use Hydro Cannon!"

"And you use Fire Spin, Charizard!" Trevor commanded.

Blastoise and Charizard fired their respective attacks at their opponents as they tried to stand up. Blastoise's dual orbs of water doused Tyrantrum, proving to be super-effective against it. As for Zangoose, it was scorched by the spiral-shaped stream of fire from Charizard.

"GAH!" Lloyd cried. "NO, MY TYRANTRUM!"

"ZANGOOSE!" squealed Floyd. Then, he ran over to his twin brother and grabbed his arm. "Lloyd, those are our strongest Pokémon, but we're _losing_ , and we're losing hard! Wh-What do we do?!"

"I'll tell you what you'll do," Miette snarled as her Slurpuff confronted the twins.

"You'll surrender immediately!" Nini cried while her Smoochum waddled over beside Slurpuff, her normally cheerful face now wearing an expression of serious loathing.

Floyd gulped fearfully, while Lloyd mustered the courage to defiantly spit out, "A-And if we don't?!"

"Well, then," Tierno replied, his voice no longer cool and relaxed, "let's just say you'll be in for a whole new world of hurt, my dudes."

He and Trevor joined Nini and Miette's sides, while Blastoise and Charizard towered over them from behind while. As for Tyrantrum and Zangoose, they were now suspended in the air and unable to move, courtesy of Blanche's Meowstic duo.

"Ah, c-c-come on now!" Floyd cried, his entire frame trembling as he stepped forward with outstretched arms. "Th-There is no need for violence! I-I mean, y-you kids are the l-la-latest generation! Wh-What kind of ex-example would you set if you threaten your elders!"

" _You_ threatened us first!" Nini snapped.

"W-Well, w-we are just f-fo-following orders!"

" _Orders_?" Miette repeated, blinking in surprise. "Whose orders?"

"Are you talking about this Parker guy?!" cried Trevor.

" _Parker_?" Blanche and Kazalie repeated simultaneously, looking at one another in confusion.

Floyd and Lloyd looked at one another as well, except their expressions were fearful. Then, the latter faced the others.

"Well, you kids," he said, "you see, uh- SCRAM!"

The twins tried to run in the opposite direction, believing it to be unguarded.

Instead, they found themselves face-to-face with a Wobbuffet, a Gourgeist, and an Inkay.

"Oh, no you don't!" Jessilee snapped while her two companions crossed their arms. "You two aren't going _anywhere_!"

"Wh-Wh- _What_?!" squeaked Floyd.

"B-But w-we didn't do _anything_ to you!" Lloyd exclaimed.

"Of course you did!" Jessilee's blue-haired accomplice replied angrily. "You, sir, still need to pay for your act of copyright infringement!"

"You use our motto without permission, you pay the big bucks!" declared the Meowth-like compatriot.

"WOOOOOBBUFFEEET!" Wobbuffet cried while saluting.

" _Copyright infringement_?! Paying the big bucks?! What the heck?!"

Meanwhile, Floyd turned and saw Tierno, Trevor, Miette, Nini, Blanche, Kazalie, and their Pokémon approaching. Realizing there was nowhere to go now, he sighed with defeat and raised his hands in surrender.

"Alright," he said glumly. "Whaddaya need to know?"

* * *

"PIKA! PIKAPI!"

Pikachu's worried cries snapped Ash from his stunned reverie. He coughed and waved at the air to clear it of the seeping smoke before standing up. Then, he looked around and saw Aria sprawled on the floor, moaning and struggling to get up.

"Aria!" Serena cried. She went over to the Kalos Queen and helped her up her feet with one arm; the other was carrying Selene's Pichu. "Aria, are you alright?"

"Y-Yeah..." the redhead replied with a smile. "Thanks, Serena." Then, she looked down at her clothes and grimaced. "Oh, no... My clothes are all dirty! How am I gonna explain this to Palermo?"

"You won't be doing any _explaining_ today, young lady," a new voice snarled.

The trio turned and saw a Dragonite stomping towards them with a malevolent sneer on its face. Ash could feel the great aggression coming from it, and it looked more unruly and worrisome than even Iris's own Dragonite. This Dragonite also had a long, old scar running down its left eye.

Walking right beside the Dragon Pokémon was a man with wavy, neatly-combed green hair with golden streaks. He was also dressed in a sharp olive-green suit with a green-and-yellow-striped tie. However, Ash, Serena, and Aria couldn't see a lot of his face because of the gas mask clamped over it. They could barely see the yellow eyes glinting behind the eye-holes.

"Who are you?!" Serena cried, her hands reflexively twitching towards her pockets. "You don't look like Parker!"

" _I_ don't look like Parker?" the man repeated with a derisive snort. "I don't look like Adam, she says. HA! Well, no kidding, Sherlock! I most _definitely_ am not Parker! But I _am_ working for his interests!"

"So you must be Kay, huh?!" Ash exclaimed.

"Kay? I don't have the faintest idea of who you're talking about." He stretched out his arms. "Rest assured, children, I'm someone even _worse_."

"Parker?" Aria asked. " _Kay_? Who're you guys talking about-?"

"And as someone who seeks to benefit from Parker's mission," the man interrupted, "I must see to it that no one stands in his way! Dragonite, use Hurricane!"

Dragonite lifted itself into the air and started flapping its wings at Ash, Serena, and Aria's direction. In the process, they released multiple green, crescent-shaped blades of energy.

"Pikachu, use Thunderbolt!" Ash ordered. "And Pichu, use Thunder Shock!"

"PIKA- **CHUUUUU**!"

"PIIIII- **CHUUUUU**!"

Two different bolts of electricity flew through the air and struck the incoming crescents, causing them to explode before any of them could reach their targets. Serena and Aria reacted by pulling out their own Poké Balls and throwing them.

"Come on out, Braixen!" Serena called.

"Delphox, time to shine!" declared Aria.

The two Fox Pokémon emerged and barked in preparation. A short time later, the smoke cleared out, revealing the man walking calmly towards them, with his Dragonite slowly, smoothly flying beside him. The man was chuckling and wearing an arrogant smirk.

"You think you kids could match the might of my Dragonite with your weak Pokémon?" he asked.

"Of course!" Ash replied defiantly. "Especially given what's at stake!"

"Heh heh heh... Such naivete. And to think all of this is because of a little girl. How foolish and shortsighted-"

"Love is not something foolish or shortsighted!" interrupted Serena. "How could you think something like that?!"

"Love is nothing in the face of sheer power. Since you kids clearly cannot see that, I think I'll give you another taster." He pointed at the group. "Dragonite, use Twister!"

"Pikachu, use Electro Ball!" Ash ordered. "Pichu, use Thunder Shock again!"

"Braixen/Delphox, use Flamethrower!" Serena and Aria commanded at the same time.

Dragonite flapped its wings powerfully again, this time discharging a miniature tornado. In response, the four Pokémon fired their respective attacks, which were enough to dispel the strong wind vortex. A second later, however, the Dragon Pokémon swooped towards the quartet of opponents, its outline glowing blood-red.

"That's Outrage!" Ash cried. "Pikachu, dodge it!"

"You too!" Serena and Aria both shouted.

Their Pokémon followed their commands, but the unprompted Pichu, in trying to scurry out of range, tripped and fell to the ground headfirst. It then looked up and squeaked in fear upon seeing the incoming Dragon Pokémon.

"PICHU!" Serena screamed.

"GRENINJA, GO!"

There was a flash of light, which faded out to reveal a watery veil. The veil broke apart a second later to reveal the Ninja Pokémon, who had taken on its Ash-Greninja form. With barely anymore time to do anything else, Greninja quickly threw itself between Pichu and Dragonite. A split-second later, Dragonite began viciously pummeling Greninja with its fists and wings.

"GRENINJA!" Serena cried. Then, she heard a scream and looked beside her. **"ASH!"**

Ash had fallen to the floor and was now writhing and flailing like a squirming Seviper. With every blow Dragonite dealt to Greninja, a pained, agonizing scream came out of Ash's mouth.

"PIKAPI!" Pikachu cried in distress.

Then, Serena focused on Dragonite. "BRAIXEN!"

The Fox Pokémon acted at her Trainer's command, using Fire Blast on Dragonite. Meanwhile, Pikachu joined his friend's side, using Thunderbolt. The dual attacks succeeded in knocking Dragonite off Greninja, and it glared angrily at Pikachu and Braixen once it recovered. Then, as it started charging at them...

"DELPHOX!" Aria called. "USE MYSTICAL FIRE!"

Delphox swung her wand stick around in a circular motion, forming a ring of fire in front of itself. Then, she fired a white-hot stream of fire through the ring, which sent Dragonite tumbling down the hallway and nearly hitting its Trainer.

"BAAAAAH!" the man snarled. "USELESS!"

As for Serena, she ran up to Ash, who stopped crying out and writhing now. She was quick to cradle him in her arms.

"ASH! Ash, are you okay?!"

"I'm fine," the Pallet Town native croaked. "I'm fine... How's Greninja...?"

Serena looked at the Ninja Pokémon, who was struggling to get back up. "He-He's doing fine," she replied, "but you two have already pushed yourselves too far. We can handle this-"

"Well, well, well. _Very_ impressive."

Serena glared hatefully at Dragonite's Trainer. The green-and-golden-haired man calmly walked up to the group, both of his arms still raised. He still had a smile on his face, but this time, it was _hungry_. Especially once he laid his eyes on Ash and Greninja.

"I've never seen a Greninja Mega Evolve," he said. "Let alone like that. It's my understanding that Parker isn't interested in this..." His eyes flashed with absolute greed as they focused fully on Greninja. "Which makes it _mine_ to monopolize!"

"You think you can simply take what you just saw for yourself?" Ash spat. Despite Serena's physical protesting, he gently released himself from her grasp and stood up. "Greninja and I have a special bond, a bond that is stronger than anything else! And it goes beyond what you believe about power and strength! It is something you can never be able to replicate, even if you tried!"

"Well then, challenge accepted." The man pointed at Greninja. "Go, Dragonite! Pummel it into submission! I'll handle the heavy lifting."

Dragonite flew down the hallway again, its outline glowing red once again.

"Greninja!" cried Ash. "Use Water Shuriken! Pikachu, Electro Ball! Pichu, Thunder Shock!"

"Braixen, use Fire Blast!" Serena commanded.

"Delphox, use Mystical Fire!" ordered Aria.

All five Pokémon fired their respective attacks, but this time, Dragonite was ready for them. It ducked to avoid the Water Shuriken, spun around to outmaneuver the dual Electric-type attacks and the Mystical Fire, and then it flapped its wings powerfully to send the Fire Blast off-course. Once the hall was cleared, the Dragon Pokémon flew towards Greninja again, and Greninja flexed its arms in preparation for what was about to come...

"P-Pa-Pa-Pachirisu!" a voice stuttered. "D-Di-Discharge!"

A loud, shrill squeak filled the hallway, followed by a bright-blue bolt of electricity that barreled through the air. Surprised by the new attack, Dragonite didn't have time to avoid it, and the Electric attack struck it head-on.

"AAAGGGHHH!" the man cried, startled by the sudden Discharge. "WHAT IN **BLAZES**?!" Then, he turned around and saw Dragonite headed straight for him, blinded with pain. "AAAAARRRRRGGGGGHHHHH!"

"OOH!" Aria winced as she watched the Dragon Pokémon collide with its own Trainer and crash-land into the wall.

"Whoa, what was that?" Ash asked, looking around for the source of the Discharge. "W-Who did that?"

At that moment, someone joined Aria's side. At first, Ash, Serena, and Aria noticed their grimy, olive-green cloak, which seemed too large to fit their figure. Then, the cloak flew off, revealing a girl around their age, who had blue hair and blue eyes. She was wearing what appeared to be a Showcase outfit, consisting of a blue, rose-shaped top hate, black elbow-length gloves with blue collars, a blue-striped gown-like dress, black knee-length socks, and white heels with golden circles on them.

Initially, Ash was at a loss for words at the stranger's presence. Then, he dug into his memories of what Selene and Nate said about the future, and his mind finally settled on one name that could only make sense in this context.

" _Evelyn_?!" he cried.

"Evelyn?" Serena and Aria asked at the same time, Serena with surprise and Aria with confusion.

Evelyn nodded with affirmation. "D-Do-Don't worry, U-Un-Uncle A-Ash, A-Au-Auntie S-Se-Serena!" she cried. "I-I'm here t-to he-help y-y-you guys o-o-out!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that about does it for this chapter!
> 
> To be honest, I'm not entirely happy with how I wrote this chapter. Clearly, I had to juggle between five different groups, and properly balancing the amount of screentime and action they get in this one jam-packed chapter is clearly a bit of a challenge. Fortunately, now that these five groups have merged and become three (sorta), it should be a lot easier to get more material done in a balanced way during the next chapter.
> 
> Also, I'm aware that Clemont, Bonnie, Calem, and Shauna didn't appear at all in this chapter even if they're supposed to be a group as well. But don't worry; they will get their time to shine in the next chapter, and then some!
> 
> I also hope you guys enjoyed the AmourShipping material, even if it was a little minimal in this chapter. Once again, the best stuff is being saved for the next chapter!
> 
> Well, hope you enjoyed this chapter! TheCartoonFanatic01 is out. PEACE!


	23. All the Queen's Daughters

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow. I'm so sorry it took me this long to get this chapter ready for you all! At first, I didn't have any problems with writing this chapter, but then, by the time I got close to the end, I suddenly kept hitting potholes with my creativity. The action sequences I was writing looked terrible to me, and I even realized some of them probably belonged in the chapter that comes next. I kept rewriting and revising the second half of the chapter, and it was just a hassle overall. Because of this, it might take longer for me to get the next chapter out, because I'm sensing an overall dislike with how I'm writing Pokémon battles. At least I had a month's worth of free time to go over this.
> 
> And man, what a month it's been, and I'm not just talking about my ability to update my stories! Last month, my home state's just issued a statewide "stay-at-home order", which pretty much translates to total lockdown. Which is excellent (obvious sarcasm is obvious). Anyway, you bet I'll be spending this period of time writing this chapter and new chapters for my other stories, so I guess there's a bright side to this!
> 
> One last thing before I begin: this two-part action sequence just turned into a three-parter. I don't think I will be able to effectively wrap up this entire action sequence in this chapter. I'll be stuffing too much into this chapter otherwise, even with the overall length I've planned for this. So...congratulations! You'll be seeing some more action in the next chapter!
> 
> Alright, enough rambling! On with the chapter. ENJOY!
> 
> P.S.: I don't mean to go on a tangent here, but I found a pretty interesting Tumblr account, called "Performers of Kalos". Or "Future Kalos Queens". I don't know; I'm still trying to get the hang of Tumblr, even after all of this time. Just look up "Performers of Kalos Tumblr" on Google. It should be the first couple of hits you see. Now, I am bringing up this account because, just like me, they have an entire catalog of Performers that have appeared in the XY saga, even the ones that didn't get any names. But unlike me, this Tumblr user went the extra mile to give their own names to the unnamed and underappreciated Performers. Now, I'm not going to use any of the names on that list, but I'm now imagining those are the names for all of the Performers we see in the background.
> 
> P.P.S.: Due to the ever-worsening situation regarding the coronavirus outbreak, I'm going to have to remind you all about the basic steps you should take if you want to stay healthy, courtesy of my university's reminder emails:
> 
> -Wash hands often with soap and water for 20-30 seconds at a time, and/or use hand sanitizer  
> -Avoid close contact with people who are sick  
> -Keep your hands away from nose, eyes, and mouth (I can't imagine how difficult this part is probably going to be)  
> -Eat well, get adequate rest, and exercise regularly  
> -Get a flu shot if you haven't already and are able to
> 
> And if you ARE sick (I hope you get better if you are), please be a good sport and save other folks the trouble of getting sick. You can do this by:
> 
> -Covering your mouth and nose with your sleeve, elbow, or a tissue whenever you sneeze or cough  
> -Not sharing food and drinks with others  
> -Avoiding touching your mouth, nose, and eyes (Again, I understand this is probably going to be difficult)  
> -Avoiding close contact with others  
> -Cleaning and disinfecting surfaces and objects  
> -Staying at home if you're unwell (PRIORITY NUMBER ONE!)  
> -Staying calm and keeping yourself well-informed (My personal advice)
> 
> If you already know this, then great! If you didn't know any of this beforehand, please keep that information in mind as we all go through this trying time. It's a realm of unknowns at this point, and I wish myself and all of humanity well.

"H- _Hey_! C-Come back here! I'm-I'm not a threat!"

Foster continued running after the trio of Hoppip, Skiploom, and Jumpluff, but they floated through the air faster than he anticipated. When they turned around the corner of a hall and he did the same, he found that they had maintained and even increased their distance from him.

"Jeez!" the farmhand wheezed while stopping to clutch his kneecaps. "Those three sure are in a hurry! They're probably looking for their Trainer or something-"

Then, before he could resume running, he heard a distant, muffled explosion. He yelped out in surprise, feeling the walls and floor rattle loudly.

"Whoa, what the?!" Foster looked around, but didn't see any signs of structural disturbance. "What was _that_?"

Just then, he heard another distant explosion. Acting on instinct, Foster ran after Hoppip, Skiploom, and Jumpluff again, feeling something tugging at his gut.

For a couple of additional minutes, he followed the three Pokémon, turning corners and opening doors, before he finally wandered into yet another hallway...where he saw a cloaked person standing a considerable distance away.

"P-Pa-Pa-Pachirisu!" the person stuttered in a feminine voice. "D-Di-Discharge!"

A loud, shrill squeak filled the hallway, followed by a bright-blue bolt of electricity that barreled through the air. This was followed by a loud, bestial roar of pain.

"AAAGGGHHH!" another voice cried; this voice, masculine and aggressive, was startled by the sudden Discharge. "WHAT IN **BLAZES**?! AAAAARRRRRGGGGGHHHHH!"

"OOH!" yet another voice vocalized. Foster recognized this one.

 _"Aria?!"_ the farmhand thought in surprise.

"Whoa, what was that?" another familiar voice, that of a boy, asked. "W-Who did that?"

At that moment, the cloaked person ran further away from Foster, and he realized that she was joining Aria's side. Then, she tore off her cloak, and Foster was stunned to see a girl around his age, who had blue hair and blue eyes that were almost reminiscent of his. She was wearing what appeared to be a Showcase outfit, consisting of a blue, rose-shaped top hate, black elbow-length gloves with blue collars, a blue-striped gown-like dress, black knee-length socks, and white heels with golden circles on them.

" _Evelyn_?!" the boy cried.

"Evelyn?" Aria and another girl asked at the same time.

The blue-haired girl nodded. "D-Do-Don't worry, U-Un-Uncle A-Ash, A-Au-Auntie S-Se-Serena!" she cried. "I-I'm here t-to he-help y-y-you guys o-o-out!"

...

 _"Okay,"_ Foster thought, feeling his mind go blank. _"What'd I miss...?"_

* * *

"Hey. Wake up."

Selene forced her eyelids open with a gasp, and the first thing she saw was a glowing green aura. Then, once her vision adjusted itself, she realized the green aura was in the shape of a stump...which was attached to the end of an arm. With a quivering lip, the little girl slowly looked up and was soon greeted by the sight of a single red eye, peering at her from a sentient tree trunk.

"Good girl," the voice said. "Trevenant, stand down. I don't think our guest here will be a threat to us."

The Trevenant gave Selene one last terrifying glare before taking a step backward, its Wood Hammer dissipating into thin air. As the Elder Tree Pokémon withdrew from her position, Selene saw the man of her nightmares towering over her, his flanks taken by his Chesnaught and Shiny Sceptile.

"You know," Parker said with a smirk, "after I heard you were the sister of that Yancy girl, I once had... _doubts_ about your lineage. But after seeing you in action, side-by-side with your father's own efforts to intervene in my business (or, rather, the bratty young version of your father), I must say, you truly are your father's daughter." He snorted derisively. " _Always_ sticking your neck out for a worthless Pokémon. _Believing_ that humans and Pokémon can coexist as friends. Bleh. What a naive, childish way of thinking."

"It's not childish!" Selene snapped defiantly. "People and Pokémon ARE friends!"

"Pokémon are _tools_ to settle our _conflicts_. Where do you think Pokémon battling saw its origins? Certainly not because a couple of people were bored and had some wild Pokémon on standby. And besides..."

He unfurled his hands, which had been behind his back this entire time. Selene's eyes grew wide in horror at the sight of the steel cage dangling from his right hand; in it, Celebi was tucked away in a corner, shivering and recoiling at the very gaze of the Pokémon poacher.

"If humans and Pokémon are supposed to be friends, why do certain Pokémon such as these keep running away from us on sight?"

"CELEBI!" Selene cried, catching the Time Travel Pokémon's attention.

"BI!" Celebi squeaked back, retreating from its corner and trying to grasp the cage bars.

But once it touched said bars, there was a loud zapping noise, followed by Celebi violently collapsing and writhing, bolts of electricity coursing through its body.

**" _BIIIIIIIIII_!"**

"NO, CELEBI!"

Selene watched as Celebi was electrocuted for a couple additional seconds. Once the last of the electricity fizzled out and left the Time Travel Pokémon grimacing in pain, she shot a hateful glare at Parker's direction.

"You leave Celebi alone!" she shouted. "You're hurting it!"

"You didn't answer my question," Parker replied, his expression calm and stoic. "If humans and Pokémon are supposed to be _friends_ , then why do certain Pokémon such as _these_ -" He shook the cage lightly, much to Celebi's discomfort. "-Keep running away from us on sight?"

"Because they're rare! Some Pokémon don't need to be caught! And they definitely shouldn't be kept in cages!"

"Cages, you say?" Parker set the cage down to the floor and crossed his arms. "So tell me, little girl...that Pichu of yours, how long have you had it?"

Selene refused to respond, instead puckering her lips stubbornly. She wasn't going to tell this cruel poacher all about the special relationship she had with Pichu.

Sensing she was not going to answer him, Parker said, "Pichu, like many, many other Pokémon, was caught, by your own admission, with a Poké Ball. Caught to serve as, what, your playmate...? I'd assume as your eventual starter Pokémon as well...?"

Selene still didn't respond, which only served to confirm Parker's suspicions.

" _I_ caught Celebi, a rare Pokémon that, according to you, should never be caught. And I'm keeping it in a cage. Poké Balls lock Pokémon away when they're no longer needed by their Trainers. So, tell me, does _that_ sound familiar?"

Selene gritted her teeth, for she recognized the argument Parker was making.

"Tell me, girl." Parker's voice was more forceful this time. "How's _that_ any different from what you've got going with your Pichu? What sets us apart?"

"Because Poké Balls can be more than just cages, you big meanie! They're the ultimate shields for Pokémon! And at least Pokémon can come out of their Poké Balls when they need to! But you're using an actual cage! Celebi can't get out even when it needs to!"

Parker arched his eyebrow. "Poké Balls... _more_ than just cages? The ultimate shields? HA! From where did you learn that moronic drivel?"

"From my DADDY!"

The poacher gritted his teeth. "It figures..."

When he turned his back on her, Selene shouted, "My daddy's met so many people like you! And he's heard so many bad excuses about why they treated their Pokémon so horribly! And he has always told me why they're wrong! Do you wanna why?!"

"Oh?" Parker looked over his shoulder. "Do enlighten me."

"Because deep down, those people are just big, big bullies! They all feel so small on the inside that they need to pick on defenseless Pokémon just so they can feel bigger!"

" _Oh_?" Parker's pupils started to tremble with fury. "So that's what you think of me?"

" _Yeah_!" Selene stood up on her feet, and at that moment, she realized her hands were bound behind her back; not that she cared. "You're a big, mean, nasty BULLY who needs to pick on Celebi to feel better!"

"I see..."

All of a sudden, Parker lurched forward, grabbed Selene by her shirt, and effortlessly lifted the young girl in the air. Fear immediately flooded her mind, but she refused to let it show in her face. Instead, she stared down the Pokémon poacher and his quivering, fury-laced eyes.

"You've got a big mouth too, little girlie," Parker snarled. "I can see where you get _that_ in your family."

"Just you wait until my mommy and daddy get here!" Selene cried, her voice trembling slightly. "I can't wait till they kick your sorry BUTT!"

"So... _annoying_..." The poacher raised a hand high in the air. "Your parents _clearly_ didn't teach you discipline. Perhaps it's time I made up for their shortcomings-"

"Luff!"

Parker froze, and Selene craned her neck to see a Jumpluff hovering towards its Trainer. It had a small radio and a Holo Caster-like device strapped to its body.

"What is it, Jumpluff?" Parker growled irritably while lowering his hand.

"Luff! Jump-jumpluff!"

The Cottonweed Pokémon nudged its chin towards the device strapped around its body. Realizing what it meant, Parker gently laid Selene on the floor and pressed a button on the device, triggering it to project a three-dimensional hologram that spanned the entire width of the hallway the group was in. They watched as a trio of Trainers and their Pokémon all surrounded a stout, Dedenne-like man and his Hawlucha, who were under the tight grip of Grass Knot.

Selene's eyes widened upon recognizing some of the people in the hologram.

"BIG S-" she began, but Chesnaught used Vine Whip to cover her mouth.

 _ **"NO!"**_ the Dedenne-like man squealed. _**"Pl-Pl-Please don't hurt me! I have a family, I beg you!"**_

 _ **"So do I,"**_ Yancy snarled. _**"And my sister's missing. So you're gonna tell me what exactly you're after, or I'm gonna make sure you suffer."**_

"This is live?" Parker asked, and the Jumpluff nodded in affirmation. "Ah. I _knew_ I shouldn't have relied on that idiot and his cronies." His eyes narrowed at the sight of Yancy and Nate's holographic images. " _Especially_ when it comes to those Arceus-forsaken kids. It's a good thing I anticipated this..."

Selene tried to say something to Parker, but her voice was muffled by Chesnaught's vine. The poacher ignored her as he continued watching the live holographic feed.

"The two-way audio feature on your radio is not activated yet, right?" Parker asked.

"Jump-jumpluff," Jumpluff replied with another nod.

"Excellent... I order you to transmit the code-red signal to your squad. Tell them to move in and keep Gray and Ketchum distracted." He trained his eyes entirely on the Dedenne-like man. "This one-celled man is about to cave, and we can't let that happen. Not when we've just barely begun."

* * *

Shauna stared longingly at the back of Calem's head as he walked alongside Clemont. Dedenne was currently in the lead of their group, followed closely by a glum Bonnie, and then the teens, with Shauna coming in last. The Antenna Pokémon scurried along the well-lit but barely-occupied hallway, stopping on occasion to sniff the air for anything and let his ears and antennae-like whiskers twitch.

"So, Clemont," Calem said, "where does the map say we are?"

"According to it," Clemont replied, peering into his father's cellphone, "we should be entering...the VIP area."

"VIP area?"

Calem looked around the hallway, seeing no one but a few employees cleaning the tables that appeared to be there just for show.

"But there's no one keeping guard. We should've encountered one person, at the very least, who'd ask for our ID."

"Hm, yeah..." Clemont looked around as well. "That _is_ pretty strange... But this gives us an opportunity to keep moving forward! We need to cover as much ground as we can if we're gonna find Selene and Celebi."

"Yeah, definitely. If we don't, we're not gonna hear the end of it from Serena."

Calem chuckled for a moment to ease up the tension hanging in the air, which Shauna couldn't help but absorb. She had heard her fair share of laughter during her journey, and by that point, she had amassed a number of different categories for each person's laughter she would overhear. Naturally, her favorite category was the kind of laughter everyone should be using every day, that of happiness and joy. She enjoyed hearing and especially provoking it. Any day can be made for anyone with the power of laughter. That was her personal philosophy.

Naturally, Calem's laughter fit into that category...and then some... Hearing his voice and his happiness, no matter what the context, was particularly invigorating to her. It was angelic, like hearing the voice of Arceus himself...

...

...

...

_**"Seems like** _ **someone** _**has a** _ **cruuuuush** _**... And for the first time, it's not Serena!"** _

_"Yep,"_ she thought. _"I have a crush on Calem. Great."_

Then, Shauna remembered what Selene and Nate told her about her future with Calem, back at the hotel. She could still recall the jubilation she felt when she learned all about her happy life with Calem.

 _"Me being Monsieur Pierre's successor?"_ she thought longingly. _"Him being a research assistant? It just sounds so..._ right _. Even if Calem doesn't really strike me as the scientific type, I can still imagine him looking good in a white lab-coat and fooling around with equipment and caring for the Pokémon that he's researching..."_ The tan-skinned girl sighed. _"And... Ohhhhh, I wonder how our children are like? I hope we're good parents. Well, I assume we are, since Nate spoke highly of them. What were their names again? Savannah aaaaannnnnd...Elio! Elio, that's right! ...Those are pretty nice names. I think I picked both of them. Those names sound like names_ I'd _pick. I wonder how good of a husband Calem would be in the future-?"_

"Hey, Shauna?"

"EEK!" Smoke shot out of every orifice on Shauna's head. "Y-Y-YE-YE-YES?!"

Calem blinked slowly. "Ummm...are...are you _okay_ , Shauna?"

She knew she must've looked like a total wreck, but nevertheless, Shauna stammered in response, "Why, y-ye-yeah, I-I-I'm okay! Wh-Wh-Why would I n-n- _not_ be?!"

Calem blinked again. "Oooookaaaaayyyyy..." He cleared his throat. "A-Anyway, I was gonna ask you, um...how's Serena doing?"

Shauna arched her eyebrows. "Come again?"

"L-Like...is she happy as a Pokémon Performer? How hard is she working? Does she feel a lot of pressure onstage? Y-You know...that kind of stuff."

"Wh-Why're you asking _me_? You should ask Clemont!"

"He's not the one with hands-on experience on being a Performer. You do. And plus, you're Serena's closest friend in this venue. If she trusts you, then I trust you."

Shauna blushed intensely. "O-Oh! Th-Tha-Thank you." She looked away bashfully. "B-But...why're you so curious?"

"I just wanna know if my cousin's truly happy up there."

"Well, she is." Shauna smiled fondly as memories of Serena's performances flooded back to her. "I know you're up in the stands, watching and cheering her on and everything. But it's nothing compared to performing alongside her. If you had a front-row seat, then you'd see how much _fun_ she'd have up on the stage. You'd _feel_ the energy coming out of her. It's like... It's like she was _born_ to be up there."

Calem arched an eyebrow. "Oh, really?"

"Uh-huh." Shauna's lips curled upward a little more. "It's like she's a completely different- No, not a different person. It's like...she's showing her true self."

"Her true self, huh?" Calem stared ahead with a fond smile of reminiscence. "Yeah, I can see why you'd think that."

Shauna looked at him. "C-Calem?"

"Yeah, Shauna?"

"Ummm...f-forgive me f-for asking, but...what was Serena like? Wh-When she was younger?"

The boy chuckled. "Shy, sheltered, fragile. That kind of person."

"Oh! I kinda got that impression when I first met her at the summer camp-"

"But that was when she was traveling with Ash," Calem interrupted. "You should've seen her when she was younger. She was prone to crying and always hiding behind someone's leg. And if there wasn't a leg to hide behind, then she'd always find a shadow to hide under. Preferably mine." His eyes narrowed Couldn't make a decision for herself. "And she couldn't make a decision for herself. A lot of the kids in my family liked to take advantage of her."

"Oh..." Shauna looked down at the floor. "I know that feeling..."

Calem looked at her again. "You do?"

"W-Well, n-not really." Another blush crept onto Shauna's face. "As I was growing up, I was somehow the only girl in my neighborhood. It was no-girls-land. The only reason I had Tierno and Trevor to back me up is because they were teased by the other boys too. Dancing and taking photos weren't exactly activities the other boys liked to encourage."

"Wow," Calem replied sympathetically. "I'm...I'm sorry to hear that."

"Oh, d-don't mention it. The experiences toughened me up." Then, Shauna sighed. "I'm still surprised Serena and I grew up in the same hometown. From what you've told me, we could've used each other's company. We were just a couple of streets away, and yet we didn't know the other existed."

"Fate has a really weird way of bringing people together. I'm still trying to wrap my head around the fact that Ash, _Ash_ of all people, was the same boy from that summer camp that Serena kept yapping on about."

Shauna blushed again as soon as she remembered Selene and Nate's description of her future with Calem.

"Y-Yeah..." she said. "F-Fate _is_ weird..."

"Anyway, we can't dwell on the past. There's nothing we can do to change it, no matter how hard we try."

"Yeah, that's true too." Shauna looked sideways at the boy, her face wearing a slight smirk. "You're quite a philosophical guy, Calem."

"Really?" Sheepishly, Calem scratched the back of his head. "I've always thought of myself as more of a scientific type of guy."

"Really now?" Then, Shauna added in her mind, _"If only you were there to hear what Selene and Nate had to say about what kind of work you'd be doing..."_

"Anyway," continued Calem while giving Shauna a smile, "thank you, Shauna, for being Serena's friend."

Shauna's face turned as red as could ever be. There was something about that smile of his that impaled her heart like an arrow. An arrow shot by Cupid itself. That smile, it was just too overwhelming for her mind to wrap around!

"Y-Yo-You're w-we-we-wel-c-co-co-come," she stammered.

At first, Calem was confused, but he continued. "Uhhhhh...I was gonna say I was feeling pretty worried about Serena..." Upon mentioning his cousin's name, his lips twitched into a smile. "Like I said before, she was always relying on me for protection. For the longest time, I thought she'd never be able to function on her own. But it's good to know she's found her calling, as well as great friends such as yourself."

"EEP!" Shauna couldn't hold herself back. "Th-Tha-Tha-Thank you, C-Ca-Ca-Calem!"

"Hm?" Calem's smile disappeared. "Are you _sure_ you're okay, Shauna?"

"Y-Ye-Yeah! O-O-Of c-co-course!"

"Really? You've been acting pretty weird these past few minutes-"

"I-It doesn't m-matter!"

"Are you sure?"

"YES!" Shauna squeaked, her voice cracking.

Invisible steam was jettisoning out of her nostrils like she was an agitated Tauros. At the corner of her eye, she could see Bonnie looking over her shoulder and giving her a sly smile...the same kind of smile she reserved whenever Serena was in the throes of her crush on Ash. This comparison served to freak Shauna out even more.

"S-S-So! W-What w-were you g-gonna s-sa-say, C-Ca-Calem?!"

Calem opened his mouth and was about to say something when Clemont spoke up first.

"Hold it, you guys!"

The inventor's low, serious voice sent chills running down to Shauna's spine. She looked up to see Clemont hiding behind a wall, just at the edge of the hallway curve. At this point, there was no one else in the hallway besides them...and yet, a low, menacing voice was filling the hallway.

"What is it, Clemont?" Calem whispered, his eyes narrowed.

Clemont didn't respond, and instead, he beckoned the rest of the group to fall in behind him with a hand-wave. Shauna watched as the blond inventor slowly peeked his head out from behind the edge of the wall. As he did, she continued to hear the voice speaking. At first, there was something inherent about it that made her skin crawl, but as the person kept speaking, she realized, with a dawning horror, why exactly she was intimidated.

"You're an idiot. Then again, I didn't expect anything less."

Shauna, Calem, Bonnie, and Dedenne joined Clemont in peeking out of the wall. From their position, they could see the familiar, imposing figure of Parker standing in the middle of the hallway, his back facing them. Flanking his sides were his Chesnaught and Shiny Sceptile, while his Trevenant was keeping guard over a tied-up Selene. Right beside his foot was a cage of sturdy metal, and through its bars, Shauna could barely see Celebi whimpering and cowering.

Then, they noticed the holographic image Parker was addressing, an image that was being projected by what seemed to be a Jumpluff. They could vaguely see the glowing faces of Nate and Yancy staring back.

 _ **"**_ **Parker** _ **?!"**_ they cried.

"Yes, me. As this amoeba-brained imbecile was saying-"

 _ **"**_ **Hey** _ **!"**_ a voice cried from the background of the holographic feed.

"He's working for me."

"He's working for him?" Clemont repeated to himself. "Who's working for him?"

"Probably a no-good lowlife," Calem growled.

"He was _supposed_ to stay back and lay low," Parker continued, entirely oblivious to the presence of Shauna's group, "but I guess that's what you get when you are forced to rely on idiots to assist you. Fortunately, I anticipated this, hence my little, ehhh... _intervention_. You should be lucky I stepped in for you, Nick. Your usefulness has yet to expire."

"What do we _do_?" Bonnie asked, warily eyeing Selene and then the Trevenant looming over her.

"Nenene?" Dedenne squeaked quietly.

 _ **"So**_ **you're** _ **the one behind all of this!"**_ Nate shouted. _**"Where's Selene?!"**_

"We gotta get Selene and Celebi away from them," replied Clemont. "Unnoticed."

"How?" Shauna asked.

"She's safe," Parker replied in the distance. "For now. As is Celebi."

"Well, Parker, Sceptile, Chesnaught, and Jumpluff are focused on that hologram. We only have Trevenant to distract."

 _ **"If you hurt her, Parker, I swear to Arceus-"**_ began Yancy.

 _ **"Yancy, wait!"**_ Nate cried.

Parker snickered malevolently. "Heh heh heh heh heh. You're quite courageous today. A bit of a far cry from the girl who's always relied on good old Nate Gray to save the day. But I suppose that's what happens when your precious little sister is in danger. I'd find it admirable...if I didn't have a stronger urge to _vomit_."

"But we can't just confront Trevenant," Calem replied. "As soon as it sees us, it'll alert the others."

Suddenly, the others heard Clemont chuckle ominously. They turned their heads at him and saw the familiar shine in his glasses. Bonnie's face fell instantly.

"You assume we must rely on our brawn, Calem," the inventor said, "when we have the ultimate weapon on our side: our brains! Beho-!"

"If this is about that stupid watch again," deadpanned an irritated Bonnie, "I'm gonna have Dedenne destroy it before it blows up in our faces again."

"Nene!" Dedenne squeaked in agreement.

Clemont gagged and nearly fell over before recomposing himself. "No, my dear sister," he replied with renewed vigor and confidence. "It's not about the Amazingly Accurate Wristwatch."

The little girl beamed. "Oh. Good."

"It's about an _application_ of the Amazingly Accurate Wristwatch."

The little girl blinked. "Say what?"

 _ **"Give Selene back right now, Parker!"**_ Yancy screamed in the background. _**"Or you're going to be sorry!"**_

"Unfortunately," Parker replied with a terrible sneer, "it seems like your brains have not caught up with your courage. You see...you forget what is at stake here."

Upon hearing that, Shauna peeked her head out from behind the wall again, just in time to see some Hoppip, Skiploom, and Jumpluff encircling a familiar-looking Performer in the holographic feed.

"Oh no, _Shulin_!" she whispered. Then, she looked at Clemont. "Whatever you've got up your sleeve, Clemont, do it fast!"

"Alright!" Clemont exclaimed in jubilation. Then, he flashed his wristwatch. "The future is-!"

Calem clasped a hand over the inventor's mouth, his eyes wild with panic. "SHHHHHHHHHH!"

Shauna and Bonnie peeked their heads out from the wall again. To their relief, no one in the group seemed to have heard Clemont's outburst.

 _ **"Let her go, Parker!"**_ Nate cried. _**"She's got nothing to do with any of this!"**_

"Nothing to do with this, you say, Gray?" Parker asked tauntingly. "Then tell me, why'd my scouts record her following you two on her own volition, without either of you doing a thing to stop her?"

"Hurry and get on with it, Clemont!" Shauna whispered urgently. "Shulin's in trouble!"

Once Calem lifted his hand from Clemont's mouth, the inventor silently declared, "The future is now, thanks to science!"

He then pressed a small button on the side of his wristwatch...

...

...

...

But nothing happened.

"Are you serious right now, Clemont?" Bonnie asked, while Dedenne shook his head in disappointment.

"I-I'm _serious_!" Clemont squeaked as he began tapping on the watch. "It's supposed to be a feature that produces white noise at maximum volume!"

"White _what_?"

"A very loud sound, Bonnie."

"And how was _that_ supposed to be useful?!" Calem snapped.

"To discombobulate them!"

"You're gonna miscombuboolate us too!" Bonnie snapped in disbelief.

Clemont looked at his younger sister as he continued to tap the watch harder and harder. "H-Huh?"

Shauna rolled her eyes. " _Hello_? We don't have earmuffs to protect us from that sort of thing!"

The inventor blinked with realization. "O-Oh. Th-That's right."

"I'd say she has _everything_ to do with this," Parker continued. "So, if you want your precious friend to continue on with her silly lil' dancing competition, I'd say...stay right where you are and do not resist."

"So what do we do now?" Bonnie asked flatly. "Now that Clemont's thingy is useless again?"

"Be fortunate that I cannot leave this accursed timeline just yet."

"He- _Hey_!" Clemont cried, his eyes watery with misery. "I'm trying my best to help out, Bonnie! Why can't you just show your faith in me for one SECOND?!"

"I have one last task to attend to-"

At the same time Parker began his sentence, Clemont slammed a clenched fist against the wall in his grief and agitation. Unfortunately, it was the same hand wearing the wristwatch...which triggered it to explode.

"AAAAAGGGGGHHHHH!"

Shauna, Calem, Clemont, and Bonnie were all sent flying in different directions, with Shauna ultimately ending up within Parker's field of view.

" _Hey_!" he cried.

* * *

"GRANDMA?!"

"Y-YANCY?!"

Just then, Grace felt someone colliding into her and shoving her to the floor. The former jockey scrambled away, realizing someone else had joined the fray. It was a young, fit woman with cinnabar-colored hair and reddish-pink eyes, who was wearing a raspberry-pink T-shirt and tight-fitting beige shorts with tawny-colored suspenders.

"You're not going anywhere, you old lady!" Cecile snarled.

Grace's eyelid twitched. " _Excuse me_?!"

The woman ignored her. "Krookodile!"

The Shiny Krookodile engaging Yancy and her Florges was alerted to its Trainer's call. With a low growl, the Intimidation Pokémon broke away from the battle and joined Cecile's side. Grace's blue eyes narrowed angrily as she stood back up; meanwhile, Fletchling perched itself on her shoulder with a defiant look.

"So _you're_ their Trainer!" she cried. "Why're you giving us a hard time?! Are you working for this Parker guy?!"

"That's for me to know and you to find out!" With a sneer, Cecile pointed at Grace. "Now, Krookodile! Use Rock Tomb!"

Roaring, Krookodile created a large, crimson sphere of energy in-between its hands and then threw it towards Grace and Fletchling. As it hurtled towards them, the sphere began to expand and solidify before breaking apart into multiple large boulders.

"FLETCHLIIIIING!"

Fletchling hopped off Grace's shoulder and began flying towards the boulders.

"FLETCHLING, NO!" Grace screamed.

"FLO, USE FLOWER SHIELD!"

The White Flower Florges jumped in-between Fletchling and the incoming Rock Tomb. Then, she summoned a great flurry of glowing, multicolored flower petals that circled around her and Fletchling at high speeds. Soon, a shield of energy was generated by the petals, which harmlessly absorbed the impact of Krookodile's Rock Tomb, defending both occupants.

"What the?!" Cecile screamed.

A few moments later, the dust cleared and Flo's Flower Shield subsided. Grace was stunned to see Yancy standing by her side, her narrowed eyes directed at Cecile.

"If you wanna get to my grandma, you gotta go through ME first!" the pink-haired Performer declared.

"Yancy!" Grace cried in awe.

"Awww, how _cute_!" squealed Cecile, who was now swooning. "I remember when _I_ got along with my grandma! She was always so kind and caring, not to mention a great cook!" Then, her face hardened. "Unfortunately, I've invested a lil' too much in this whole thing to let _anyone_ get in my way, especially an old lady and her cute lil' granddaughter!"

Grace gritted her teeth and clenched her fists for a moment. Then, a moment later, Yancy's presence brought a soothing comfort to her. The former Rhyhorn Racer relaxed her fists and grinned softly.

"Old lady, huh?" she asked. "Well, then... Maybe this _old lady_ should teach you some manners!" She pointed a finger at Krookodile. "Fletchling, use Quick Attack!"

"FLEEETCH- **LIIIIINNNNNG**!"

The Tiny Robin Pokémon soared high in the air and then dove towards Krookodile. It tried to defend itself, but Fletchling was quicker, striking the Intimidation Pokémon and knocking it off-balance.

"NOW, YANCY!" Grace called.

"ALRIGHT, GRANDMA!" Yancy pointed at Krookodile next. "USE DISARMING VOICE, FLO!"

Flo opened her mouth and unleashed a beam of pink hearts in a loud shriek. The beam hit Krookodile, causing it to issue a cry of pain and cover its ears while falling to the floor. Cecile, being in the same field of range as Flo's Disarming Voice, also screamed and covered her ears, giving Grace an opening.

"Fletchling, use Peck on her!" the former jockey commanded.

Fletchling nodded before landing atop Cecile's shoulder. This caught the woman's attention, and she stared blankly at the Tiny Robin Pokémon.

"Wha-?"

Fletchling began pecking her in the head endlessly.

"OW! OW OW OW OW **OW**! GET OFF! OW OW OW!"

Cecile tried to shoo Fletchling away, but it took to the air and continued pecking her from there. With the cinnabar-haired woman distracted, Yancy seized her opportunity.

"Flo, use Grass Knot on her and Krookodile!" she ordered.

Flo's eyes began glowing, and two vines were summoned from the ground to ensnare Cecile and the fallen Krookodile.

"Wh-Wh- _What_?!" Cecile cried upon feeling the vine wrap around her tightly. "H- _HEY_! L-Lemme go!"

"Wow!" Grace exclaimed, turning to her future granddaughter. "Great job, Yancy!"

Now blushing, Yancy gave the woman a bashful smile. "Th-Thanks, Grandma!" she replied.

Unlike Cecile's earlier insults, the title gave Grace a warm, fuzzy feeling in her stomach.

_"Grandma, huh? Well...as long as it's her, I think I can get used to it..."_

All of a sudden, the former jockey saw a glowing white in the corner of her eye. She looked back at the restrained Cecile and saw a Hawlucha jumping towards the vine, its left leg glowing with energy.

"YANCY!" she cried.

But it was too late for Yancy to do anything. Hawlucha's High Jump Kick broke the vine apart, easily freeing Cecile. Then, a small, rotund man resembling a Dedenne ran up to the vine holding Krookodile and tried pulling it apart with his bare hands, but he wound up exhausting himself in an instant.

"Phew!" the man exclaimed. "These vines are tougher than they look-"

"Get out of the way, Nick!" Cecile snapped, pushing her comrade aside. "Krookodile, use Crunch on the vine!"

Krookodile opened its mouth wide, its cone-shaped teeth glowing white, and then it chomped down on the vine, ripping it apart with its powerful jaw. Fletchling rejoined Flo's side, and both Pokémon faced down Krookodile and Hawlucha.

"Well, Grandma?" Yancy asked. "Shall we take them on together?"

"Together, huh?" Grace's lips curled into a wild, enthusiastic smile she hadn't used in a long time. "I'd like nothing better, Yancy."

Cecile's eyelid twitched nastily. "Aw, come _ooooooon_! Two against one?! That's not fair! And you call yourself a Performer, little missy?!"

"Y-Ye-Yeah!" Nick stammered. "Wh-What she said!"

Yancy gritted her teeth. "My little sister's in _danger_ , and _you're_ standing in my way. Until I get her back, I think I can live with forgetting I'm a Performer for a couple minutes." Then, she reached into her pockets and procured three Poké Balls. "Oh, and I'm going to stop at NOTHING to make sure my sister's safe! Come on out, everyone!"

She threw the Poké Balls, summoning her Quilladin, Alolan Ninetales, and Tundra Pattern Vivillon. Nick gulped loudly, and Cecile's jaw dropped at the sight of Yancy's reinforcements. However, Grace merely gave her a triumphant smirk.

"Now, then," the former Rhyhorn Racer said, "are you two gonna give up? Or are you still ready for a butt-kicking?!"

Nick's hands flew up immediately. "I SURRENDER! **OW!** "

Cecile scowled at her accomplice while rubbing her right palm. " _Idiot_! Of _course_ we're gonna held them off for as long as we can!"

"B-Bu-But l-lo-look at th-the P-Po-Pokémon, C-Cecile! H-Ho-How're we s-su-supposed t-to beat _them_?!"

"Simple. With a little backup of our own." Cecile looked up at the gaping hole in the ceiling and whistled. "Joltik! Litwick! Come on down here, sweeties!"

It took about a minute, but Joltik and Litwick descended down the slope Grace used...only for Cecile and Nick to realize both minuscule Pokémon had been rendered unconscious.

"WHAT?!" Cecile shrieked in horror. "MY BABIES!"

"Oh, those were yours?" a voice asked.

Grace and Yancy beamed happily as Layla and Moose slid down the slope after Joltik and Litwick, followed closely by their Magnemite and Aromatisse. Layla glared at Cecile and Nick with a smug look on her face, while Moose got into a martial arts pose next to her, a pose that looked more unintentionally comical than anything else.

"Oh, I'm so sorry about that," Layla continued. "Your babies were being...a _little_ uncooperative with us in the beginning, but in the end, my husband and I were able to teach them some manners. If you know what I'm saying."

The unconscious Joltik and Litwick merely moaned by the couple's feet. Cecile looked beside herself.

"K-Kr-Krookodile!" she stuttered. "Fi-Finish this!"

The Intimidation Pokémon prepared to attack, but Yancy pointed at it.

"Chestnut, use Needle Arm!" she ordered.

Her Quilladin rolled forward, light-green, spiky orbs of energy enveloping its arms. It then leaped towards Krookodile and punched it twice, knocking it to the floor once again.

"Ha-Ha-Hawlucha!" Nick cried. "D-D-Do s-something!"

"HAWLUCHA!" the Wrestling Pokémon cawed. It flew in the air, became enveloped in an outline of white energy, and then swooped downward towards Layla and Moose.

"Fletchling, stop it with Razor Wind!" Grace ordered.

"Aromatisse, use Fairy Wind!" added Layla.

Fletchling began flapping its glowing-white wings at the airborne Hawlucha, hurling white crescents of energy waves. At the same time, Aromatisse spun around on the spot, whipping up gusts of sparkling wind. The Razor Wind hit Hawlucha, stunning it and knocking it into Aromatisse's Fairy Wind, which blew into the wall with enough force to leave it embedded inside.

"HAWLUCHA, NO!" shrieked Nick, his voice cracking hilariously.

"Crud," spat Cecile. "Krookodile, get up! I-I _command_ it!"

Krookodile tried to obey, but Moose was quicker. "Magnemite, Flash Cannon!" he ordered.

Magnemite's Steel-type attack struck the Intimidation Pokémon, finally knocking it unconscious. Cecile and Nick gasped as one of their best Pokémon collapsed by her feet.

"Wh-Wh-What do we do _now_ , Cecile?!" Nick squeaked timidly.

"Ummmmm..." Cecile was initially at a loss for words. "Rh-Rhyperior! A-A little assist, please?!"

But her call was met with a sudden, agonizing cry. Cecile looked behind her, just in time to see Rhyperior sliding towards her position on the brink of unconsciousness, its body bearing badly scorched despite its hard, rocky composure. Then, she looked back and realized she and Nick were being surrounded by Yancy, Grace, Layla, and Moose's Pokémon. A split-second later, her arms joined Nick's in the air.

"I-It was just a prank, you guys..." she quipped nervously.

* * *

**A few moments earlier**

Right after Ampharos, Rhyperior, and Krookodile fell through the ceiling and continued their battle, Nate had been able to run past Ampharos and Rhyperior in order to get to Meyer, who he found lying on the floor. Krookodile had tried to lunge at him, but Yancy had intervened with Flo's assistance, drawing the Intimidation Pokémon's attention away from him and therefore giving him an opening. As for the horde of Hoppip, Skiploom, and Jumpluff, many of them had retreated upon the unexpected arrivals, but some had stayed behind to temporarily engage Yancy as well.

"Meyer?!" he cried upon reaching the electrician. "Hey, Meyer! You alright?!"

"H-Huh?" Meyer rolled to his side and groggily looked up at the male Trainer. "Oh. It's you-"

"Yeah, it's me. Are you alright?!"

Meyer looked at his dusty, grimy clothes. "Well...I'm alive, am I...?" Then, his eyes narrowed, and he shot up to his feet. "What about Rhyperior and Krookodile?!"

Meyer's concerns seemed to be answered when the two heard a familiar squeal.

"EEK! NATE, PLEASE HELP ME!"

Nate and Meyer turned towards a nearby corner of the hall, where they found Shulin crouched there, her eyes wide and trembling with fear. Towering over her was a Rhyperior, its wide, plated frame completely enveloping her in shadow. The Drill Pokémon's red eyes were enlarged and feral as it began advancing towards the helpless Performer.

"AMPHAROS!" Meyer shouted.

"EMBOAR, COME ON OUT!" hollered Nate as he threw his Poké Ball.

Ampharos quickly shoved Rhyperior away from Shulin, right before Emboar emerged from its Poké Ball and roared at the Drill Pokémon. Rhyperior roared back once it rolled back on its feet and smashed its rock-like fists on the carpeted floor. This gave Shulin the opportunity to run from her position and hide behind Nate.

"Alright, Emboar!" Nate cried as he joined his Pokémon's side. "Let's POWER UP!"

He raised a clenched fist in the air, as did Emboar. Soon, the Fire-type was enveloped in a twister of red fire, and the hall filled with heavy, sweltering heat that only seemed to grow by the second. The heat became so unbearable that even the Ground/Rock-type Rhyperior flinched in discomfort. Then, the fire became so bright that it turned from red to white and finally to blue. Once the flames turned blue, the fiery tornado exploded, revealing Emboar's new appearance.

"Wh- _What_?!" Shulin squeaked in disbelief. "Did Emboar just _Mega Evolve_?!"

"Nate!" Meyer cried as he and Ampharos joined Nate's side. "Rhyperior's a Ground/Rock-type. Even with your Emboar in that powered-up state, it's going to be a challenge to defeat it!"

"It's okay, Meyer," Nate replied, giving the electrician a confident, knowing smile. "After all...I've got your trump card by my side."

"My trump ca-?" Then, the realization hit Meyer. "Oh. _Oooooh_."

"What?" Shulin asked, looking frantically between Nate and Meyer. "What trump card? Are you talking about Ampharos? But isn't it an Electric-type?"

"We're not talking about Ampharos," Meyer replied. Then, he looked over Rhyperior's shoulder and noticed Grace fighting alongside Yancy against the Shiny Krookodile. "So, how'd you figure out my secret, Nate?"

"It's public knowledge by that point," Nate said cryptically.

"Will they know now? Or later?"

"Later. A lot later."

Meyer nodded in understanding. "I see."

Shulin continued looking between the two males, her confusion escalating. "O-Okay, i-is there something I should know about?! We're about to get turned into applesauce by a freaking _Rhyperior_ , and yet you two are _smiling_!"

Meyer looked at her. "Shulin, right?"

"Y-Yeah, that's me-"

"Promise me, Shulin, that when this is all over, you're not gonna mention a word of what you're about to see to anyone. Not even your own friends. Do you understand?"

"I-I understand, b-but-"

Meyer ignored her and recalled Ampharos back to its Poké Ball. "Return, Ampharos. Blaziken's gonna take it from here."

"You have a _Blaz_ -?!"

Nate quickly covered Shulin's mouth. "SHHHHH!"

Meyer pulled out another Poké Ball and threw it. "Go, Blaziken!" he hollered. "We need you!"

The Blaze Pokémon emerged from the device and roared at Rhyperior while the red-hot flames in its wrists flared up in a show of intimidation. Next, Meyer reached into a secret pocket in his overalls and procured a small, gold necklace, which was holding a...

"Whoa, whoa, wait a minute!" Shulin exclaimed, her eyes bulging. "Is that a-?!"

"Yes, it is what you think it is," Meyer replied as he clipped the necklace around his thick neck. "Now, Blaziken! It's time! _Mega Evolve_!"

Multiple bright beams of energy shot out from the Key Stone engraved into Meyer's necklace and then connected to the fur enveloping Blaziken's neck. Within seconds, the Blaze Pokémon transformed into its Mega Evolved form, and the fires on its wrists flared up even more powerfully. Shulin gawked at Blaziken with even more disbelief.

"YOU'VE GOT A BLAZ-?!"

Nate covered Shulin's mouth again. " **SHHHHH**!"

"Now, Blaziken!" Meyer called. "Use Flare Blitz!"

Blaziken enveloped itself in fire with brighter streaks of fire spiraling around it, then it launched itself at Rhyperior.

"And you use Heat Crash, Emboar!" ordered Nate.

Emboar jumped towards the ceiling and enveloped its own body in a sphere of whitish-blue flames. Then, upon making contact with the ceiling, the Mega Fire Pig Pokémon used its feet to propel itself from that point and towards Rhyperior. The Drill Pokémon desperately tried to use an attack to defend itself, but the two Fire-types were infinitely quicker. They both hit their opponent with astounding force. With one last pained cry, Rhyperior was knocked further down the hallway and towards its Trainer, who had just been cornered by Yancy, Grace, Layla, Moose, and all their Pokémon. The massive, powerful impact left behind a large, clear cloud of smoke.

Once they saw no movement from Rhyperior, Nate and Meyer looked at one another.

" _Heeeeey_ , not bad, kid," Meyer commented.

"You did well too, Meyer," Nate replied with a toothy grin.

"By the way, how'd you manage to Mega Evolve Emboar?" Meyer cast a glance towards Emboar's new form. "I have not heard anything from Sycamore about an Emboarite being discovered."

"Oh, no." Nate watched as Emboar reverted back to its normal form, as did Blaziken. "Emboar and I are just like Ash and Greninja. But I'll explain everything later. I think you've still got a secret to keep."

"Huh?" Meyer looked at the cloud of smoke and saw Yancy and Grace's outlines running up to him. "Oh, crud! Re-Return, Blaziken!"

The electrician was able to recall Blaziken before Yancy and Grace emerged through the smoke.

"Whoa!" Grace cried after coughing a couple of times. "We just saw Rhyperior! Was that you guys?!"

"Yep, that was us," Nate replied.

"You guys sure did a number on it. Scorch marks everywhere. I didn't think Emboar and Ampharos would be enough to take it down so quickly."

"Y-Yeah," Meyer responded while rubbing the back of his head. "Y-You could say that."

Meanwhile, Yancy was quick to notice Shulin. "Shulin, are you okay?"

Nate looked behind him and saw the green-haired Performer gawking at him and Meyer. Her lower jaw was hanging open in bewilderment, and her eyes were as wide as they could be. Then, the Aspertia City native looked back at Yancy.

"Ohhh, she's fine," he said. "I think this is her first experience with Pokémon battles." He looked over his shoulder again. "Isn't that right, Shulin?"

Shulin eyed the boy and saw the glint in his brown eyes. Remembering the promise she was forced to make with Meyer, the girl merely nodded, her head bouncing back and forth like a bobblehead.

"Good! Now that that's settled..." Nate glared at Layla and Moose's direction. "Do we know who Rhyperior and Krookodile belong to?"

"Yeah, those guys over there," replied Grace, pointing towards the pair of Trainers cornered by her sister and brother-in-law. "I heard them call each other Cecile and Nick. Don't worry, they're not going anywhere."

"Well, that's a relief," Meyer said. Then, he gave Grace an impressed smile. "I'm assuming you took care of those guys?"

"Of course." The former jockey stuck her chest out in pride. "No one gets the better of me."

The electrician blinked slowly. "I see..."

Meanwhile, Nate was looking around. "Great. Parker's Hoppip, Skiploom, and Jumpluff are gone. Every last one of them. They must've run off somewhere."

"It's alright," Yancy replied, pointing at Cecile and Nick. "As long as we've got them, we'll be able to learn what Parker's next move is."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Shulin finally exclaimed, her face now red and sweaty. "L-Lo-Look, I-I know I-I'm not s-s-supposed t-to know a lot, bu-but _seriously_ , guys...WHAT THE HECK IS GOING ON HERE?! WHY'RE POKÉMON ATTACKING US?! AND MOST OF ALL..." She stomped her foot in distress. " **WHEN ARE WE GONNA GET BACK TO THE SHOWCASE**?!"

* * *

" _Hey_!"

"EEK!" Shauna leaped up to her feet, ignoring the new hairstyle the explosion had given her. "L-LE-LET HER GO, PARKER! R-RI-RIGHT NOW!"

Selene tried to call out something to her future honorary aunt, but her mouth was still muffled by the Vine Whip wrapped around her lower face. Parker scowled before pressing a button on the side of his sunglasses. In response, his Key Stone emerged from one of the side-frames, gleaming brightly.

"SCEPTILE, MEGA EVOLVE!" the Pokémon Poacher hollered loudly.

Multiple bright beams of energy shot out from both Sceptile and the Key Stone and connected to one another. With that, the Forest Pokémon began changing shape and enlarging in size. Soon, the blinding flash of light and vague double helix-like symbol signified the completion of its transformation. Shauna's eyes grew wide with terror, and her breath hitched at the scarred Mega Sceptile. She could still remember how it easily took out her Ivysaur and so many other Pokémon, no matter how hard they tried to take it on together.

 _"The only thing that can defeat a Mega Evolved Pokémon is another Mega Evolved Pokémon,"_ she thought fearfully. _"But I don't have a Pokémon that can do that, let alone a Mega Stone and Key Stone!_ _Neither do Calem or Clemont! We're no match against Parker! We...We have no chance of beating him..."_

With a trembling hand, Shauna tried reaching for a Poké Ball, but it was as if her hand and her pocket were magnets that were facing each other by the poles, repelling one another. The Vaniville Town native was too overwhelmed with fear and doubt to even think about defending herself.

 _"We can't beat him! We can't_ beat _him, there's no way! What do I do, what do I do, what do I DO?!"_

Shauna felt rooted to the spot like a tree, unable to do anything as Sceptile and Chesnaught closed in on her. Her green eyes were wide and trembling, and small beads of sweat started to develop on her forehead. She was about to withdraw her hand from her pocket when...

"Shauna."

All of a sudden, Shauna felt a hand gently grab hers, and she looked beside her to see Calem standing there. His clothes were a little scuffed up, with some small scorch marks. Other than that, however, he was fine and ready to go.

"Hey, calm down over there," he whispered, his voice gentle. "It's okay. We'll take him on together."

"To- _Together_?" she repeated.

Calem nodded affirmatively before procuring his six Poké Balls and throwing them. "Let's go, everyone! We need all your help!"

His Empoleon, Gallade, Scizor, Ferrothorn, Swellow, and Alolan Golem emerged from the beams of light. Empoleon beat its flippers into its blubbery body and emitted a squawk of intimidation. Gallade made slashing movements in the air for a couple of times before taking on a fearsome fighting stance. Scizor snapped its pincers and narrowed its eyes at Parker. Ferrothorn simply ground itself to the floor in preparation. Swellow circled over Calem and his Pokémon, squawking and eyeing Parker and his Pokémon. And finally, Golem slammed its stubby, clawed hands on its thighs and roared mightily at Parker's Sceptile and Chesnaught.

However, Parker wasn't intimidated by the newcomers. "Oh?" he remarked. "So you think your six Pokémon are going to be a match against _my_ Mega Sceptile? If that is the case, then you are sadly mistaken, boy."

"You're a moron if you think sheer power is gonna take you far enough," Calem spat back. "We're gonna defeat you, and we're gonna get Selene and Celebi back."

"Mm, as you wish." Parker made a dismissive wave with his hand. "Sceptile, Chesnaught, let's finish this quickly."

The two Grass-types began advancing on Shauna, Calem, and the latter's Pokémon. Her legs trembling, Shauna gripped Calem's sleeve and tugged at it softly.

"A-Ar-Are you _sure_ about this, C-Calem?" she stammered.

"Well, of course!" Calem looked at her with a cheerful grin, not unlike Ash's own. "I've got you by my side, after all! And I trust you wholeheartedly!"

Shauna looked at the boy, her face red. "You...You _trust_ me?"

"Well, you _are_ Serena's friend after all. Or am I wrong?"

Upon hearing Calem's gentle, assuaging words, Shauna's face softened. Then, her pupils flitted towards Selene, who was struggling helplessly against her bonds. Then, the seven-year-old girl looked towards her with watery, pleading eyes. The sight of her honorary niece's face caused the Performer's expression to harden. At that moment, she recalled her verbal exchange with Sara Lee.

**_"Wow. I'm legit surprised you of all people are saying that to my face. If I can recall, you shed more than a few tears when you got voted out of the Master Class. And I know for a fact this wasn't your first Showcase season-"_ **

_**"Serena's my** _ **friend** _**. I will not sacrifice our friendship for something so selfish, no matter how hard I worked on my performances as well."** _

_"Yes. I'm Serena's friend. But most of all, I'm her rival. And she's_ my _rival. We help make each other stronger. And now, Selene's depending on me, and I gotta help her!_ _If I cannot even do that...if I can't help Serena_ or _her family, then how could I call myself her friend, or her rival? How could even I call myself a...Pokémon Performer?!"_

"COME ON OUT, EVERYONE!"

Her Ivysaur, Orange Flower Flabébé, Swirlix, and Gothita all emerged from their respective Poké Balls. Ivysaur roared as loudly as it could at Parker's Sceptile, while Swirlix and Gothita narrowed their eyes and Flabébé did a quick spin through the air as a sign of aggression. Sceptile hissed back at the quartet of Pokémon, the pupil in its scarred eye quivering with an alarming ferocity. Parker, on the other hand, scoffed derisively.

"Aw, how adorable," he said. "You're gonna rely on your little dancing Pokémon to help this child out, girlie?"

"Oh, laugh all you want, Parker!" Shauna snapped defiantly while taking an aggressive stance beside Calem. "These little dancing Pokémon are gonna show you some brand-new moves!"

"I can't wait." Parker swiped at the air with his arm. "Sceptile, Chesnaught! Pummel them to the ground!"

Sceptile and Chesnaught propelled themselves at Shauna and Calem's group. But the two Trainers were quick to react.

"Quick, Empoleon!" Calem shouted. "Use Hydro Pump on Sceptile!"

Empoleon fired a powerful blast of water from its beak, which hit Sceptile and sent it tumbling to the floor. Unfortunately, the Water-type attack did not do much damage to the Grass-type Pokémon. Upon recovering, Sceptile coldly stood back up on its feet, allowing itself to be drenched by the Hydro Pump, which, to it, had the power of a weak hose.

"How sad," a smirking Parker commented. "Alright, Sceptile! Use Leaf Blade!"

The Forest Pokémon launched itself towards Empoleon, continuing to take the Hydro Pump with ease. Then, Calem's lips curled into a smile.

"Gallade, use Close Combat!" he commanded.

Gallade's eyes glowed a sinister, metallic-red color, and it jumped towards the incoming Sceptile, who was too distracted by Empoleon's Hydro Pump to even notice. Before it could realize what was going on, Gallade began attacking the Forest Pokémon with all of his might, punching and slashing at its body.

However, Parker didn't look fazed by this sudden development at all. "Sceptile, use Leaf Storm," he droned. "Then follow it up with a Mega Drain."

The Forest Pokémon flung a massive flurry of leaves at Gallade, blinding him. Then, it fired a green beam of energy from its mouth, which hit Gallade squarely in the chest, causing the Blade Pokémon to emit a cry of anguish. Finally, Sceptile started absorbing the same green beam back into its mouth, and Gallade's screams grew louder as its energy was being rapidly drained from its body.

"GALLADE!" Calem cried. Then, he looked at Scizor and Ferrothorn. "Scizor, use X-Scissor! Ferrothorn, follow it up with a Gyro Ball!"

Scizor ran up to Sceptile, its claws glowing light-green. Once it got close enough, the Bug/Steel-type slashed its arms in an X-shaped formation, firing an X-shaped structure of green energy from them. It hit Sceptile and knocked it away, thus interrupting its Mega Drain attack. Then, Ferrothorn withdrew its vine-like legs into its spiky body and began spinning at high speeds towards the stunned Sceptile. The Mega Evolved Pokémon was hit again and knocked to the ground.

"ALRIGHT!" shouted Calem. Then, he ran up to Gallade, who was visibly weakened. "You okay, Gallade?"

The Blade Pokémon groaned and winced, but despite this, he feebly nodded his head and gave his Trainer a positive grin. Calem smiled back before looking up at Sceptile, who stood up barely unscathed; it grabbed the still-spinning Ferrothorn and threw it towards Empoleon, Scizor, and Swellow, all of whom managed to avoid it.

 _"Okay,"_ he thought. _"We've gotta find a different way to break through these guys..."_

Meanwhile, Shauna and her Pokémon ignored the battle that was raging on beside them, instead setting all their sights upon Chesnaught. It continued to advance upon them, materializing its Wood Hammer.

"Now, Ivysaur!" ordered Shauna. "Use Solar Beam!"

Ivysaur quickly gathered sunlight from what little natural light was in the hall and accumulated it in the flower bulb on its back. Then, the Seed Pokémon pointed its bulb at Chesnaught and launched a light-green beam at it. However, the Spiny Armor Pokémon was quick, leaping high into the air and dodging the Solar Beam, letting it sail harmlessly further down the hallway until it hit the opposite end, triggering a distant but loud explosion. Just a second later, Chesnaught launched itself from the ceiling using its feet and headed towards Shauna and her Pokémon, its Wood Hammer poised to strike.

But Shauna was prepared. "Flabébé, use Moonblast!"

Flabébé began gathering energy from the distant Moon. Then, a sphere of pink energy materialized in front of her mouth and was then fired it at the incoming Chesnaught. The Spiny Armor Pokémon did not have any room to dodge, and it let out a cry as it was knocked backward by the explosive impact.

"Now!" Shauna commanded. "Gothita, use Psybeam!"

With a cry, Gothita fired a multicolored beam from its puckered mouth, striking Chesnaught dead-on.

"Finish it with a Draining Kiss, Swirlix!"

Swirlix bounced towards the airborne Grass-type Pokémon, but before it could even pucker its lips...

"Sceptile!" Parker barked.

Sceptile abruptly disengaged from its battle with Calem's Pokémon; it jumped into the air and prepared to strike Swirlix with its Leaf Blade.

"SWIRLIX!" Shauna screamed in alarm.

Calem reacted quickly. "Swellow, stop Sceptile with Brave Bird!"

Swellow squawked and dove towards Sceptile, its feathery body bursting into light-blue flames. The Forest Pokémon saw it coming and aimed its Leaf Blade at it, seconds before the Swallow Pokémon collided with it. With Sceptile preoccupied again by Calem's Pokémon, Swirlix was able to continue towards Chesnaught with the intention of executing its intended attack...

But Chesnaught had recovered from Gothita's Psybeam in the nick of time and swung its Wood Hammer. This time, there was no saving Swirlix, and it was brutally knocked away by the Grass-type attack.

"NO, SWIRLIX!" Shauna dashed forward and caught her bruised, battered Cotton Candy Pokémon. "Sw-Swirlix, are you okay?!"

Swirlix merely responded with an agonizing moan. It could barely move now, its small body being unable to take such a powerful move. Narrowing her eyes, Shauna glared up at Parker as Chesnaught and a recovered Sceptile returned to his sides.

"You're going to pay for that!" she cried.

"Send me the bill," Parker replied sardonically.

At the same time, Chesnaught swung its Wood Hammer at Shauna, only for its attack to be intercepted by a Solar Beam. She looked towards her Venusaur, who waddled beside her foot and hollered at Chesnaught. Chesnaught growled back at it before unleashing its Vine Whip, forcing Shauna and Venusaur to dodge it.

As for Calem, he was helping Gallade back up to his feet, albeit with some difficulty. Empoleon and Golem were providing them with cover, firing a combination of Hydro Pump and Discharge to spray Sceptile with electrified water. The powerful Grass-type initially released a loud cry of pain before jumping out of the double attack's range. Then, it used Leaf Storm to distract Empoleon and Golem before bursting through the leaves and ambushing them with Leaf Blade.

"Empoleon!" Calem called with concern. "Golem! Guys, help them out!"

Scizor fired its X-Scissor attack, while Ferrothorn and Swellow reused Gyro Ball and Brave Bird, respectively. Sceptile was able to endure the X-Scissor before being knocked down by Ferrothorn and Swellow at the same time, the force of their impacts triggering a small shock-wave that almost stunned Calem.

"You kids sure like to test my patience," Parker grumbled irritably. Then, he barked at the top of his lungs, "Sceptile, it is time!"

Picking up on its Trainer's cue, Sceptile slammed its fists together powerfully and then buried them in the floor. A second later, a horde of large, thick vines emerged from beneath the well-maintained carpet. Calem and Shauna gasped as the vines twisted in the air like flickering flames.

Then, one of them prepared to slam itself down on them and their Pokémon, intent on crushing them...

"LUXRAY, USE WILD CHARGE!"

Clemont's Luxray dashed onto the scene, its body enveloped in yellow electricity that sparked brightly and powerfully. It tackled the incoming vine with enough violent force that it was torn in half with ease. Its severed portion fell to the floor, barely missing Shauna's Venusaur and Calem's Ferrothorn.

Shauna and Calem looked over their shoulders and saw, to their great relief, Clemont standing behind them. One of the lenses of his circular glasses was cracked, but he was wearing a hardened, determined expression, and the Aipom Arm of his Clemontic Gear was activated.

"Clemont!" the Trainer and the Performer cried happily at the same time.

"Sorry I'm late, you guys!" the inventor replied as Luxray rejoined his side, the last of its electricity fizzling out in sparks. "I was unconscious for a bit. But now that I'm back in the game, I'm not gonna hold back! Especially against the likes of you, Parker!"

"GAH!" Parker shouted. His eyelid twitched as he stared through the wall of Frenzy Plant-generated vines. "WON'T YOU KIDS JUST GIVE UP AND ACCEPT YOUR **FATE**?!"

The vines began swinging wildly at Shauna, Calem, and Clemont. But before any of them could hit their targets, another voice yelled into the air.

"Dusknoir, use Will-O-Wisp!"

Several small balls of blue fire shot over Shauna, Calem, and Clemont, leaving behind trails of small embers. Each of the balls hit an individual vine, setting it on fire and causing them to writhe violently. Parker growled in irritation as the vines eventually withered away into charred, lifeless rags, revealing the Trainers' newest companion.

"Summer!" Shauna and Calem cried at the same time.

"Looks like I arrived in the nick of time!" the Pokémon Ranger exclaimed a Dusknoir hopped beside her, its single crimson eye glowing. "Thanks for letting me know of the situation, Clemont!"

"There's no time to be thanking me!" Clemont cried, his eyes narrowed. The group watched as Sceptile and Chesnaught regrouped and were joined by several Hoppip, Skiploom, and Jumpluff. "We have to break through Parker's defenses and get to Selene!"

At that moment, Shauna remembered something. She looked around, only to be puzzled by the conspicuous absence.

"Hey, Clemont?" she asked. "Where's Bonnie?"

* * *

Unbeknownst to everyone else, Bonnie and Dedenne had recovered pretty quickly from Clemont's Amazingly Accurate Wristwatch exploding. When Shauna and Calem began their battle against Parker, the seven-year-old took advantage of the Pokémon Poacher's distraction and mounting frustration to sneak through the impromptu battlefield and pass by him. Every time two attacks met and triggered an explosion, Bonnie would see it as an advantage to get closer and closer to Selene.

Eventually, Bonnie reached Selene, though she still found her path obstructed by Trevenant, who too was so focused on the battle that it didn't register the little girl's approach. So, Bonnie decided to do the next best thing.

"Psst, Selene!" she called in a whisper. "Selene, over here!"

This caught Selene's attention, and she looked at Bonnie's direction. When she saw her, her eyes grew wide in surprise, as well as relief. Now that Chesnaught had removed its Vine Whip in order to join the battle with Sceptile, Selene tried to call out to Bonnie, but the other girl shook her head rapidly and put a finger over her lips, motioning her to stay silent.

 _"Okay,"_ Bonnie thought while looking up at Trevenant. _"How am I gonna distract Trevenant without getting that meanie Parker's attention...?"_

* * *

"D-Do-Don't worry, U-Un-Uncle A-Ash, A-Au-Auntie S-Se-Serena! I-I'm here t-to he-help y-y-you guys o-o-out!"

Aria's red eyes broadened with incredulity. "Uncle _Ash_?" she repeated. "Auntie _Serena_?!"

"W-We'll explain later, Aria!" Serena exclaimed before refocusing on Dragonite and its Trainer. "For now, we've got bigger problems to worry about!"

"You're darn right you've got bigger problems, little girl!" the man hollered while getting back up to his feet. "And this big problem is going to _crush_ you all like the worthless, low-class, scummy maggots you are! DRAGONITE! **GO!** "

Dragonite charged towards the quartet of Trainers again, but Ash reacted quickly.

"PIKACHU, USE THUNDERBOLT!" he commanded. "GRENINJA, USE WATER SHURIKEN! PICHU, USE THUNDERSHOCK!"

"BRAIXEN, USE FIRE BLAST!" Serena shouted.

"DELPHOX, USE MYSTICAL FIRE!" hollered Aria.

"PACHIRISU, USE DISCHARGE AGAIN!" ordered Evelyn.

The three Electric-type attacks, the two Fire-type attacks, and the sole Water-type attack flew through the air. Dragonite tried to dodge them, but they all took up the space in the hallway, leaving no room for it to avoid any of them. Pikachu's Thunderbolt, Greninja's Water Shuriken, and Braixen's Fire Blast hit the Dragon Pokémon, sending it flying backward yet again. The remaining attacks struck the ground in front of Dragonite's Trainer, triggering an explosion that knocked him back as well.

**"AAARRRGGGHHH!"**

As the hall continued to fill with smoke, Ash and the others listened for any movement or orders. When they didn't hear anything, Evelyn immediately hugged Serena...

And started crying into her shoulder.

"AUNTIE SERENA!" she bawled like a baby. All of the Pokémon present sweat-dropped at the embarrassing display from a full-grown teenager, even Evelyn's own Pachirisu.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Serena exclaimed, startled. "It's okay, Evelyn! It's okay-"

"I WAS SO **SCARED** , AUNTIE SERENA! I THOUGHT...I THOUGHT I WAS NEVER GOING TO MAKE IT BACK HOME!"

"Hey, hey, it's alright, Evelyn!" said Ash as he gently put his hand on the blue-haired girl's shoulder. "You're here, and y-you're safe. Th-That's all that matters."

"Besides," Serena added while prying the weeping Evelyn off of her, "Yancy, Selene, and Nate are here as well."

Evelyn's wailing was reduced into sniffling, and she wiped copious tears from her eyes. "Th-They _are_...?"

The honey-blonde nodded. "They were looking for you. They'll be so glad to know you're here, Evelyn."

"O-Oh..." For some reason, Evelyn looked doubtful, but she still smiled at Serena. "I'm-I'm glad!"

"Um, e-excuse me?" Aria piped up, stepping forward with confusion etched on her face. "I-I don't mean to intrude, b-but why'd you call Serena 'Auntie'? A-And Ash 'Uncle'? I-I know you've got a big family, Serena, b-but-"

Upon spotting Aria, Evelyn's jaw dropped open in disbelief.

"I don't believe it," she said, cutting the Kalos Queen off. " _Mom_?!"

...

...

...

Aria shook off her own disbelief at that single word. "Wait, what'd you call me?"

The Kalos Queen was initially met with no response from the strange girl. Instead, Evelyn scanned her from head to toe. Then, without any warning, she hugged her.

"I...I can't _believe_ it," the blue-haired girl said, her voice barely a whisper. "I-I almost didn't _recognize_ you..."

Aria couldn't help but tear Evelyn away from her. "I-I'm sorry, b-but...wh-what'd you just _call_ me?!"

"M-Mom, what else?!"

...

...

...

"I'M YOUR **MOM**?!" Aria shouted.

"ARIA'S HER **MOM**?!" shrieked Serena.

"What, you guys didn't know?" Ash asked innocently. Then, he felt like he had been shrunk to one-hundredth of his size when Serena and Aria glared at him at the same time.

"YOU **KNEW**?!" snapped Serena.

"WHAT DO YOU **MEAN** I DIDN'T KNOW?!" Aria cried.

Then, Serena grabbed Ash's collar and shook him. "WHO TOLD YOU THAT?! HOW COME I NEVER KNEW THIS?!"

"C-Ca-Calm down, Serena!" Ash screamed in terror. "N-Na-Nate t-told me!"

" _Nate_ knew this?!" Aria exclaimed. Then, she clutched her head in extreme confusion. "What is going on here?! I-I don't have a daughter! A-At least...I-I'm not _supposed_ to! A-And especially not a daughter _my age_! I-I don't understand at all! Ohhh, if Palermo finds out about this, I'm not gonna hear the end of it!"

All of a sudden, the three teenagers heard a pathetic, baby-like crying, and they were absolutely stunned to see Evelyn hiding underneath the nearest table, her face buried in her forearms. If any of them could see aura, the immediate area would be completely enveloped in a heavy, depressing hue of black and violet. Now it was Ash, Serena, and Aria's turns to sweat-drop.

"I'm so sorry!" bawled Evelyn. "I shouldn't have said anything! I'm pathetic! I'm so pathetic! I'm a disgrace to the family! I'll be under this table if you need me!"

 _"Jeez,_ how _is this girl Aria's daughter?!"_ a befuddled Ash thought.

 _"Wow,_ this _girl is Aria's daughter?"_ Serena sympathetically asked in her mind.

 _"This girl is supposed to be my_ daughter _?"_ thought Aria, her mind reeling from the stunning revelation.

Just then, Pikachu scurried over to Ash's side and tugged at his pant leg. "PIKAPI! PIKA-PIKA! PIKAAA!"

"Huh?" Ash looked down at his partner Pokémon. "What is it, Pikachu? What's wrong?"

Ash looked at the cloud of smoke, which had begun to clear by that point. He could now see the masked Trainer trying to crawl away, ignoring the fact that his Dragonite was still lying unconscious on the floor.

"Hey, you!" he called. "Stop right there!"

"Ohhhh, for heaven's sake!" the Trainer snarled while looking over his shoulder. He could see Ash marching directly up to him, followed by Serena, Aria, and their Pokémon. "You gotta be kiddin' me!"

"You're not going _anywhere_ , mister!" Aria snapped.

"Who _are_ you?!" Serena demanded, her arms now crossed. "Why're you doing this?!"

"Why am I doing this? Why am I _doing_ this, you ask? **HAHA!** " The man sneered at the honey-blonde. "You may not know this, _sweetheart_ , but life doesn't give everyone what they want. Fortunately, I've been given a once-in-a-lifetime chance to pry what is rightfully mine away from the ones who've stolen EVERYTHING from me!"

"So _that's_ what all of this is about?! You're helping Parker so you can get your own shot at controlling Celebi's power for your own selfish needs?!"

"Now _that_ would be telling, now would it, little girl?"

Ash bent down to grab the man by the collar. "You're gonna tell us what's going on, and where Parker and Selene are! Or else-"

"Or _else_? Or else _what_?" Though Ash couldn't see the man's face beyond his mask, he could tell his opponent was giving him a malevolent smirk. "You're in no position to be making threats, kid."

"Perhaps not," a new voice said.

At that moment, a Zangoose marched up from behind the masked man and aimed its claws, which were glowing white. A ferocious glint passed through the Cat Ferret Pokémon's red eyes. Aria's eyes grew wide as a familiar-looking boy joined Ash's side, his arms crossed and his brow furrowed with anger.

"But you're legally in _my_ house," the boy said, his green-and-white apron fluttering slightly like a veil. "And I'm _not_ going to let anything terrible occur within these walls and stain this place's reputation. Not as long as I still have something to say about it. So you're gonna tell these guys what they need to know, and _then_ I'm gonna turn you over to Officer Jenny. Or you can choose to stay silent, and I can leave you to my Zangoose."

To punctuate its Trainer's demands, Zangoose growled intimidatingly at the masked man while poising its glowing claws. The masked man eyed them warily.

"So, what's it gonna be?"

The man growled, and Ash could see him grip the carpet underneath, applying so much force that he threatened to tear it. Greninja sensed it too and flexed its arms in preparation for a possible reprisal.

Suddenly, the floor exploded powerfully behind them, knocking everyone else to the floor.

" _Ash_!" Serena screamed. Just then, smoke billowed over her and the others, causing everyone to begin coughing. "Ash, are you alright?!"

"Yeah, I'm fine, Serena!" Ash called. "But what about-?"

He was cut off when he heard the familiar sound of a Poké Ball recalling a Pokémon. Through the veil of smoke, the boy could see the masked man getting up on his feet and sprinting away as fast as he could. He was being followed by three small Pokémon that were hovering through the air.

" **HEY!** " With an angered growl, Ash got back up and started running after him, followed by Pikachu and Greninja. "HEY, GET BACK HERE!"

* * *

" _Unacceptable_! UNACCEPTABLE! ABSOLUTELY **UNACCEPTABLE**!"

Adam Glazing continued running down the hallway as fast as he could. He thought he had the upper hand against those Trainers, but the silliness of their notions of friendship and teamwork distracted him! Never before did he consider even the remotest possibility that he would see defeat today, that his best Pokémon would be overwhelmed and defeated by a group of foolish, idealistic children, but the past few minutes taught him otherwise.

And now, he was running like a coward, with a Hoppip, Skiploom, and Jumpluff floating beside him, of all things! He was not entirely sure what was up with Parker's strange choice of Pokémon, but regardless of the poacher's intentions, it was perhaps the most embarrassing, humiliating thing for Adam to go through.

In his almighty opinion.

 _"The only time,"_ he snarled in his mind. _"This'll be the first and_ only _time I lose to a bunch of weak kids like them! Once I collect my bearings and make sure my Dragonite is stronger than ever before, I'll see to it that those children will suffer for what they've done to me! And then I'll get myself that Greninja and learn the secret behind its power, because there is absolutely_ NO WAY _it can Mega Evolve like that!_

 _"And once I understand its power, then the first thing I'll do with that power to usurp my idiot of a brother and my stuck-up princess of a niece! And_ then _I'll be able to take over the company, just like I wa supposed to, and then stick it to my father's face! Yeees, that's_ exactly _what I'll do! I'll see to it that my destiny is fulfilled, and there is absolutely NOTHING anyone can do about it!"_

The green-and-golden-haired man's hand twitched towards his pocket on instinct.

 _"_ Especially _not a bunch of nincompoops like those misguided kids!"_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And I'm done! FINALLY!
> 
> Phew! Now that was a chore and a half to finish! Anyway, like I said in my opening Author's Note, you probably won't see another chapter for this fic anytime soon. Perhaps it will take a month, perhaps more; it depends. Yeah, I know it sucks, having to wait a while for another chapter, especially when I left you guys dangling from this cliffhanger. But writing and repeatedly revising this chapter suddenly drained all of the creativity from me, and now, I just want to focus my writing chops on other projects.
> 
> Don't worry, though; if you still want to see more "Pokémon" from me, I will be dedicating my time with small one-shots and smaller fics like "Training Harder". Hopefully those fics are exactly what I'll need to revitalize my interest in "The Way We Will Be". If you're following my account, not just this fic, then just be on the lookout for anything "Pokémon"-related. I intend to finish "Training Harder" and fit in one or two more "Pokémon" fics before resuming work on the next chapter. I hope.
> 
> Outside of that, I will be investing time and effort with other projects, especially those relating to "My Hero Academia". I have an idea that I really want to pursue, so hopefully that kick-starts my creative writing juices too.
> 
> Well, hope you enjoyed this late chapter! TheCartoonFanatic01 is out. PEACE!


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